GREEN Act 1
by Greenmaybeaguy
Summary: A young man who loves Pokemon makes a wish, and the results involve a journey he could never have expected. Now in the body of Green, the female protagonist from his LeafGreen game, he journeys through the world of Pokemon for the first time in person.
1. Act 1, Chapters 1 to 4

Prologue-Before

Rudolph smiled as he soundly defeated his rival's last Pokemon, making him the new Pokemon Champion. He basked in the glory of the moment as his rival stuttered out his losing speech, completely unheard. Rudolph saw with some smug satisfaction Professor Oak, as the man sauntered up and congratulated and berated as the man saw fit, then led him into the back room where his Pokemon team was recorded for all time, marking him the League Champion.

He closed his Game Boy with a snap and sighed. He sighed and stared longingly at the ceiling for a moment, running his fingers through his hair in one slow motion, enjoying the feel of his own fingers on his scalp. It had been at least a solid twenty minutes of game play to beat the Elite Four, and he'd restarted once on Lance. A minute or two of rest for his eyes and hands was due, he felt.

With a sigh, he flopped his hand back on his lap an snatched his Game Boy. Without looking at it, his hand flicked the power off, then on again. He raised the thing to eye level even as his head swung back down to level out again. He went through the opening menu, and chose "New Game," saying yes when the game asked if he was OK with erasing his old one.

As he started making his new character, in a methodical way that had been copied dozens of times before, he finally spoke. "Fuck I wish this game was real."

"YOUR WISH HAS BEEN GRANTED" replied a deep, unexpected, and in the circumstances bone-chillingly horrible voice. It sounded like the bass in a speaker given varied inflections, enough so to make a voice. It hurt his head to even hear it.

His head whipped around the room, and alighted on the room's other inhabitant. It looked just like one of the shadows on the wall, only with more substance. A shadow that light didn't seem to effect normally. Three sea-green eyes, arranged in a triangle over what he figured was its' face, stared out from the wall. The creature looked as thin as paper, but now it was getting bigger, spreading to the left and right. Then, he realized it wasn't growing steadily bigger, but instead dozens of other shadow things flowed around the room, their flashing triangle pattern of eyes covering the room in what looked now like a band of LED lights.

He got to his feet. The thing had multiplied in a matter of seconds, far quicker than he could have reacted to the thing. His game boy fell from his hands, and one of the shadow creatures that had begun to slide across the room caught it. He watched in horror as it drew the thing into the ground, and it disappeared through the floorboards with the creature carrying it. He barely had time to scream as hands suddenly shot up all around him, and the last thing he saw was black and those triangular eyes, in all shades of green and blue.

Chapter 1-Wake Up Time

He woke up slowly, blinking his eyes in the low, soft light of dawn. He groaned and twisted his head right and left, smacking his lips. His tongue felt like a dried out sponge peeling against the roof of his mouth. He buried his face into his pillows, and just left it therefor a moment, enjoying the soft darkness. He took the moment to collect his suddenly confused thoughts. Wasn't he just playing a game? Then...

He suddenly rolled onto his back and shot up into a sitting position, his eyes darting around nervously. The room was completely unfamiliar. A computer sat quietly on a desk against the far wall, and on the ground next to it sat a full pack, with a white hat sitting on top that reminded him of Gilligan's hat from the show. The room was devoid of any figures of any description, however. Slowly he got out of bed and looked around until he found a cup, half filled with water. He drank slowly until it was finished, then noticed his hands for the first time. He froze in sudden realization. He reached up to his head and felt long hair, and his eyes swept the room until he found a mirror.

Green stared back at him. That is to say, the main female character from his LeafGreen game, only in the flesh, stared back at him. Before he made the wish, he remembered calling him... herself Green.

"What in the hell is going on." Her voice had a flat tone to the words that belied any question. She could hear her new voice, much higher pitched and melodic, and it made her shudder a bit. She shut her eyes and groped for the desk chair, grabbing it for support as her breathing quickened.

"WE HAVE SUPPLIED YOU THE CRITERIA OF YOUR WISH" replied that now-familiar tone of voice that made her body break out in goosebumps, her ears throbbing painfully, making her whole head ache.

She opened her eyes and saw the thing on the opposite wall, glowing triangle eyes watching her. There was only one now, and it stood perfectly still, like an obelisk against the backdrop of the universe.

"What do you mean? What are you? Why did you just... grant that wish? And like that? Why THAT wish?! What kind of game are you playing at?!" She asked, her voice coming out less forcefully than she'd intended. She settled for scowling at the thing instead.

"A GAME IS THE GAME WE ARE PLAYING AT" It responded after giving her a moment to cool down. "AS FOR WE YOU NEED NOT CONCERN. YOU POSSESS THE WISH WITH CONVENIENCE. WE HAVE MADE ALTERATIONS IN ORDER TO EVEN ODDS. IF YOUR GOAL IS MET YOU MAY DISCUSS TERMS FURTHER." During its' speech, the thing wavered, like a visualizer on a sound program. The eyes never moved however, unmoving even as the form around it blurred and pulsed. Once it stopped, it snapped back into that uniform stillness, like a black wall painting.

She felt a bit overwhelmed. Alterations? What sort of alterations? What was that even supposed to mean? "You mean I have to become the Pokemon champion if I want to go back to looking like my old self again, right? Now, wait a second! I'm a dude! A guy, a man! I remember my cock very clearly! You can't do this! I just did this because I used the guy last time! Look, just make me the male character at least, I..."

"THE GAME HAS BEGUN." The thing cut in, and for the first time there was a menacing edge to the tone. It made the pain in his ears peak, making her groan. It seemed to realize that it had hurt her, because it went on in a tone that was now, paradoxically, more gentle on the ears than it had been, though it still stung a bit to listen. "GAMES IN MOTION ARE SACRED. THIS ONE WISHES LUCK TO PIECE." It faded into the wall after its' final word so quickly that she didn't even get another word in.

After staring at the wall for another 10 minutes, watching light go slowly up the wall and willing the thing to come back, nothing happened. Green was forced to accept that it wasn't coming back.

Slowly, she turned around and spotted an outfit laid out on the desk. Slowly she dressed herself, taking in her new body with distracted glances. She reached for the skirt, and froze. No, she wouldn't let them tell her what to do. She tossed the skirt in the wastebin, and walked to the closet. Inside, after some looking, she found a pair of dark red pants that she pulled on with some satisfaction. At least she wouldn't be forced to discover the world of exposing most of the lower half of your body just yet. There was also a long-sleeved button-down light green shirt that she threw on over the sleeveless undershirt and left unbuttoned. She felt too exposed, and wouldn't wear skirts unless her arm was twisted.

She grabbed the packed sack and looked at the result in the mirror. The result was... well, certainly more tomboyish than the original. She thought that she almost looked like a skateboarder now, especially with the hat. Pleased, Green left the room and didn't look back.

Walking past another door, this one shut firm, she went down a flight of stairs and into the first floor of the house, a quaint one-room affair, with living room and kitchen all sprawling together. A few doors either led outside or to a bathroom, she figured. Flopping her bag on the table, she opened it to see its' contents. Inside were two changes of clothes, a bedroll, some canned food, and a pouch which held some official looking pieces of plastic and some cash. In another pouch, there were slots for pokeballs, and other Pokemon items. She shut the bag and checked the clock. 7:36 glowed at her from a microwave. She listened hard at the base of the stairs, for telltale signs of someone moving in the house. While she wasn't positive, she would've bet nearly anything that she had a mother upstairs who was going to awaken soon.

A note on the refrigerator door caught her eye. In a small but neat handwriting, the note proclaimed "Honey, remember you need to be at Professor Oak's lab at 8:00 sharp. I made you a boxed lunch, it's in the fridge. -Mom." She looked at the note for a while, then opened the fridge and took out the lunch, tearing it open and eating it even as her stomach snarled in hunger. As she ate one of the rice balls packed in the lunch with gusto, she filled a cup with milk, which she used to wash down the meal.

Finally with a full stomach, Green/Rudolph sat down at the table to stop and think about the situation. It was clear that as much as this world seemed real, it was a game to someone else, and she was willing to bet that someone had money on her winning or losing. What did that mean to her then? That it would be pointless to try and complain, for one. If someone had money on her to win, someone else had money on her to lose. Stood to reason. No man who had money on a bet would stand for someone else who had money on the same bet to mess with the conditions. That left her with the Elite Four to beat, which didn't frighten her by themselves. What gave her pause was the line the creature had said about alterations. What alterations had been made? Stuff to make the journey harder?

Suddenly she wanted a drink. Something to calm her nerves, which suddenly felt tense as wires. She searched the cabinets around the room, and finally came up with an unopened bottle of wine, and a half-full bottle of some kind of brown cooking alcohol. Slowly she poured herself half a glass, and grimaced as she downed it in one go. She felt it burning a trail to the pit of her stomach, where it settled on top of the food like hot lead. She sighed and placed both bottles in her bag, where she wrapped them in clothes. She'd be damned if she was gonna do this sober.

Finally, as the clock hit 7:45, she decided it was time to leave. Standing up a bit unsteadily, she grabbed the bag and headed for the door.

Chapter 2-Time to Choose

Green walked up to Professor Oak's lab, stopping at a bench in front to plop down for a moment. Her head was spinning a bit, making her feel terrible. Drinking so much alcohol with the body of an 11-year-old was certainly a terrible idea in hindsight. With a sigh, she stood up and started for the doors again.

The doors opened at a touch, letting Green into the large and impressive lab. From every wall, computers and other large devices blinked and glowed. The aides found in the game were nowhere to be seen, and neither was anyone else for that matter. Green's eyes fell on a glass case sitting in the middle of the room, under which three pokeballs shined under a mirror-fine polish.

Green licked her lips and walked cautiously up to the case. Three labels gleamed in front of the pokeballs. Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander were clearly shown in black letters against bronze plates. She felt her hand raising up to lift the case...

"Hey loser, wait until grandpa gets here!" Came a barking voice from the door, making Green jump in surprise. She whirled around to see what was clearly Blue, or more accurately the rival from the games. He was grinning as he looked around the lab, running a hand through his spiked hair. "Where is gramps anyhow?" Blue looked Green up and down, apparently surprised by the choice of clothes. "Woah, what's with the change of clothes? Trying to man up?" He grinned at his own joke, and walked to stand on the other side of the case.

"I will bring you down for that." Green promised, her voice coming out in a whisper.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" bellowed a cheerful and slightly elderly voice from the back doors, which were made of sliding glass. Professor Oak stepped into the lab, a sheepish grin on his face. "I had a problem with an Arcanine. She's going to give birth to pups soon and she doesn't want to eat all the time." He spread out his hands and smiled. "But welcome! I see we're almost ready to begin! To think that a new generation is leaving for their pokemon journey." He smiled wistfully and walked to his computer, where he began typing. "I'll be just a moment while we wait for Red."

"Red?" Green asked in a slight daze. This was completely unexpected news.

"Do we have to wait for that loser too?" Blue snorted, looking at the ceiling.

The doors burst open, and the male main character from the game ran in, eyes bright and keen. "I'm not too late, am I professor?! I woke up late but I ran here nonstop!" He exclaimed, bouncing on the heels. The sheer excitement and mad eagerness made Green want to screw the top of her own head off.

"Just in time!" Oak said with a smile. He got up and walked to the group, handing each in turn a red pokedex. "These are my patented pokedexes! They contain information about all the kinds of pokemon you'll run across, and capturing a pokemon will fill out more information on it in general. It's an invaluable tool for the individual aspiring to be a pokemon master!"

"Great! Thanks Professor Oak! I'm gonna fill it out and be a Pokemon MASTER!" Yelled Red, opening his pokedex and flipping through it with apparent insane glee.

Blue grabbed his pokedex, and opened it quietly as the thing chirped to life, and began explaining its' functions. Green, wanting to get the formalities over with, spoke up as she tucked the thing into her pocket. "So, I guess all we have left to do is choose, huh?"

The two boys looked immediately up. This was obviously the moment they had been waiting for too, and for the moment their pokedexes were stowed away.

Professor Oak smiled at Green. "Of course, I can see you're ready and raring to go! Well, then I shall explain the three choices. First is..."

Green's attention slid away as the Professor droned on about the three starters. She found it hard to concentrate long on anything at the moment, but she suspected that it had to do with the alcohol more than anything. Her tongue felt dry, and she suspected her eyes were red, but at least she was steady on her feet. With her luck she'd just collapse soon with the effort of staying up.

The Professor stopped, and Green nearly jumped as Blue spoke up suddenly. "What! That's completely unfair! I'm your grandson!"

Green blinked, and looked around suddenly, realizing she must have missed a key conversation point.

"It's common etiquette, Blue." The Professor said calmly, but with a warning tone in his voice that made Blue scowl and close his mouth.

"What's that?" Green asked, blinking at the Professor.

"Go on, the choice is your first, Green my dear." replied the Professor, smiling kindly again.

Green took a step up to the case, and suddenly felt anxious. This couldn't be a decision made lightly. Instinctively, she leaned to Bulbasaur, but made no move to grab its' pokeball even as the Professor lifted the glass case off. Bulbasaur was grass, and while grass was good against the first few gyms, she felt the type was inferior to water.

That brought her to Squirtle. Green actually began to reach for its' pokeball, but hesitated and pulled her hand back. A thought had just occurred to her. She turned to Charmander this time. Charmander had a huge disadvantage against the first two gyms, but after that it was good against pretty much all the rest, except the last Gym. Plus, if you're gonna own a pocket monster, why not make it a flying dragon.

"I'll take Charmander." Green said confidently, and grabbed it. She stepped back, admiring the smooth feel of the ball under her fingers.

"Me next!" Red cried as he bounded forward. Blue started to cry out in protest, but Red snatched up Bulbasaur before he could say anything coherent, leaving Blue to grab Squirtle as he scowled.

"Excellent!" said Professor Oak as he replaced the glass case. "Then if the three of you are ready to begin, I suppose I shouldn't keep you around here any longer. You're entering a fascinating world of adventure, kids." He turned to smile at them and Green, who remembered playing the games and never being moved by anything at all, felt a real pang of sadness in the man's expression. She could imagine Oak thinking of his own days of Pokemon adventuring.

There was a noise like a snap followed by a rushing noise. Red had let out his Bulbasaur. "Hey Bulbasaur! I'm Red! We're gonna be best buddies!"

Blue looked to Green, and grinned. "Listen. You may have suddenly toughened up or something, but I know you're still a wimp beneath those new clothes. I'll battle you later. I'm gonna save our battle for next time." And with that, Blue turned and pointed at Red. "Hey! I challenge you to a battle! It's what we've been talking about since we were kids, right?"

Red was scratching his Bulbasaur behind the ears, smiling, but looked up quick enough when a battle was mentioned. "Sure! Let's do this, Bulbasaur!" The two marched out the front door, leaving the lab in a blur of determination. Bulbasaur had to run to keep up.

Professor Oak laughed and looked to Green. "Well, I see you've gone for a change of clothes. You've been awfully quiet today, Green. You feeling alright?"

Green hadn't stopped glaring after Blue since he spoke. Only now did she look away, and towards Oak. The alcohol was still working on her body and mind, and she decided that eating and drinking before coming here wasn't a great idea. She didn't feel like vomiting, but she did feel like sitting down for a few minutes. "Fine, Professor. I'm gonna head out too. Good seeing you!"

"Oh, hold on. I meant to ask my grandson do something. Would you do me a favor, Green?" Oak said suddenly, thumping his forehead with his hand. "It's to the gym leader in Viridian City. Just a parcel from the Pokemon League that was accidentally sent here." He went up to his office with a distracted look on his face. "I've been so busy lately, my word."

Green nodded slowly and smiled distractedly as she thought to herself, dammit there's got to be a way can turn this down without being a dick. I've gotta beat the Elite Four if I wanna, not to put too fine a point on it, get my penis back after all.

She took the pokedex out of her pocket and flipped it open with a distracted flick. It powered on without prompting, and went immediately to the entry for Charmander. How the hell it knew she had grabbed its' pokeball, she'd never know. With a flick of the hand, merely out of boredom, she went to the last entry which she expected to be a blank 150. Instead, she was surprised to see a blank 493. That brought a whole new slew of problems to mind at once, and she was suddenly glad to see Professor Oak again.

"Here we are! I believe it's probably something about the gym being closed for some time. People have been complaining after all." Oak said as he handed a thread-bound parcel to Green, who took it while putting the pokedex away with the other hand.

"Um, Professor? There's only 150 pokemon around here, right?" Green asked bluntly, needing a straight answer on this.

Professor Oak smiled in a confused way. "Of course not. Not all 493 Pokemon are around here in Kanto. Not at all. But there are far more than 150 in this region. Especially with the recent trainers from Hoenn, Johto, Sinnoh, and the Sevii Islands coming in now that the Elite Four have reopened their doors."

Green nodded slowly as her brain moved quickly. Rudolph thought, alright, it's obvious that someone wanted me to hear that exposition. So, those shadow fucks want the ability to sucker punch me with any random damn pokemon in the entire series. Fine. I don't know everything about them all, but I know enough to make a good run for it. What she said was, "Oh. I'll drop it off for you. Thank you Professor."

"Well, here's a few pokeballs for helping me out. I'm much obliged!" Oak said with a smile as he held out two handfuls of the things, which he dropped into Green's open pouch.

"Sure. Well, take care Professor. I guess I'll see you after Blaine's gym." Green said with some weariness to her voice, then trudged out.

Oak furrowed his brow. "Well, she's certainly different."

Chapter 3-Starting the Journey

Green walked out of the lab, parcel still in hand. She stuffed it absentmindedly into her bag, reminding herself to open it when she was out of town. The gym leader of Viridian City was Giovanni, after all. The package couldn't contain anything good. She wondered vaguely if it was cheating to remember all the plot details, but then remembered she didn't care at all.

Rounding the path leading away from the lab, Green came upon an open clearing between the lab and the town proper. Bulbasaur and Squirtle were still fighting, though both looked the worse for wear. Even as he watched, however, Bulbasaur steadied himself on all fours, and sprang forward to hit Squirtle in the gut. Squirtle keeled over, causing Red to jump up and down in pure joy. "We did it, Bulbasaur!"

Blue was red in the face as he returned his Squirtle. He glared at Red, then turned the gaze on Green and smirked. His eyes remained hard though his disarming smile, however. "Well, thanks to you I didn't get the Pokemon I wanted. But don't you worry. I'm gonna become the pokemon champion, and leave you two in the dust. Smell the both of you later!" and with a flick of the hand, he was off, and didn't look back as he continued down the road through town.

Red looked to Green, smiling as he patted his weak Bulbasaur on the head. "Hey Green, how..."

"Look... no offense, but let's just stop this conversation here." Green cut in wearily. She wasn't in the mood.

"I was just gonna ask if you wanted to battle..." Red responded meekly, seeming surprised by the response.

"Um, sure. Look I need to get on the road so let's get this done quick" Green responded sharply, still feeling disoriented. Another drink after this would cure that. She pressed the button on the pokeball, releasing a flash of red light that quickly coalesced into a Charmander, only about two feet tall. It spread its' arms wide with a large grin on its' read reptilian face. "Charmander!" It said happily, looking up at Green.

Green felt the edge of her mouth twinge with the start of a smile. As much as this day had been weird, that made up for a lot of it right there.

Red took out a potion, and gave it to Bulbasaur as he stood up. "Alright, are you ready then?" He narrowed his eyes. "Are you ready for you first fight, Green? I won't take it easy on..."

"Charmander, use scratch." Green said, almost bored.

Charmander flashed its' claws, and swiped at Bulbasaur, who looked taken off guard.

Red looked shocked, but recovered. "Bulbasaur, use growl!" He yelled, and Bulbasaur shouted in Charmander's face, driving him back one worried step.

"Charmander, use scratch." Green said again, pulling out her Pokedex. Charmander scratched again, driving the plant Pokemon back again.

"Tackle, Bulbasaur!" Red shouted, and his normally unstoppably friendly face turned into a frown as he noticed Green not paying any attention. Bulbasaur charged, and hit Charmander, who yelped.

"Charmander, use scratch." Green said again, as she noticed that the pokedex here had a built in map. Neat.

"Bulbasaur, watch out for Charmander's..."

"Charmander, use scratch."

Bulbasaur fell back onto its' back bulb, and groaned wearily as Charmander swiped at the thing again with its' claws. Red scowled and returned the pokemon. "You can't just keep doing the same thing!" he yelled, his face turning red.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize the point was to lose." Green responded, patting a happy Charmander on the head.

Red looked more upset. "We learned that variety in battle is the way to not be unpredictable and..."

"Look. I'm glad. Very good. Well, I'll see you later. I got a... fire." Green slowly backed up down the path away from Red. She could care less about Red. It was Blue she was more worried about, even though he had lost his first battle. He had the Pokemon strong to Charmander, after all. It seemed logical that he'd be the real threat.

For a moment, Green considered stopping back by the house she came from, but seeing as she didn't wanna meet her new mom and she wasn't sure where the house even was, she contented herself with taking the bottle out of her pouch, which she drank from heavily.

"Charmander?" asked Charmander as it walked alongside her, looking up at the bottle.

Green lowered the bottle and looked down. "It's not for Pokemon, that's for sure." She said warningly, then smiled. "Just something to take the edge off... I learned a lot in one day after all."

Charmander seemed to accept the news. "Charmander."

Green stopped and sat down, looking Charmander in the eyes. "Look little man. I'm gonna rap with you for a sec." Charmander looked back, apparently keen to learn. "Me and you are going to beat the Pokemon League. We're gonna get other friends to help us out, but it's pretty much me and you. I'm counting on you. Cool?"

Green wasn't sure how smart pokemon were supposed to be, but it seemed to understand it was being asked something big. "Charmander!" It said, eyes bright.

"Good, let's rock. And I may be going crazy, speaking to animals. But I don't know if you count as animal." Green said as they continued down the path that lead out of town, and past a sign that pointed directly away from town that read, "Viridian City and Indigo Plateau."

The grass, a calm few inches in town, was starting to get taller, and for the first time she could understand how pokemon could hide anywhere in the real world. Though there was a path that ensured Green couldn't get lost on the way to Viridian, but she couldn't see well even around the next bend here. It was much different than the games and the convenient overhead view.

A rustle from the bushes brought a sudden stillness to the clearing. The first wild battle. Green's pulse quickened as she whirled around. A Rattatta came out of the woods, looking around curiously as its' nose twitched.

"Oh, fuck Rattatta! Charmander, scratch!" Green said, upset that the first pokemon had been such a letdown.

Charmander leapt at its name, claws shooting out to hit the thing with two long scratches. The Rattatta put up a brief fight, but was knocked out by Charmander fairly quickly. Green nodded in satisfaction.

The next hour was similarly depressing for Green. Every time there was a rustle in the brush, there would be a moment of glee, quickly snuffed by another Rattatta. On the bright side, Charmander was dealing with them more efficiently, though it was looking tired. Already Green could see the top of a large building in what must be Viridian. She must not be that far away now.

Green sat down and pulled out a can of peaches, popping the top with a satisfied sigh. "Well, we'll get some lunch and them go out looking for some more pokemon. Hopefully no more rats, eh?"

Charmander plopped itself down and looked imploringly up at Green, who frowned. "Hmm. You must be hungry. Is there such thing as pokemon food?" She asked as she put the can of peaches down and dug through the bag's food pouch. Sure enough, there was one large can with a bunch of brown balls. Though they looked completely unappetizing to Green, Charmander seemed to like the idea and dug right into one with apparent gusto.

Green smiled and reached down for her peaches. They were missing. She blinked and looked around, confused. The can was nowhere to be seen. Green narrowed her eyes, and opened a second can of peaches, which she sat slowly down to her left. She picked up another brown ball and tossed it to Charmander, who caught it neatly out of the air and began eating. Just as the ball had left her hands, something had darted from the brush behind her and snagged the other can. It was something dark green, with a flash of yellow.

Green searched through her bag, and took out a can of what turned out to be oranges this time. She popped it open and quickly downed half the oranges, then reached back into her bag and filled the rest of the can with alcohol. With a finger, she stirred the stuff together so the alcohol didn't float awkwardly at the top, then set the can down again. She reached into the can of brown balls and tossed one more to Charmander, noticing again the vanishing can. She smiled.

Green opened one last can, this one of canned straw berries, and repeated the alcohol trick. She waited a few minutes for the first can to take effect, sipping vaguely at the can in her hand. Green placed this one down a little closer to her main field of vision and waited, not even bothering to feed Charmander. After a few hesitant moments, the thing made a dash for the can. this time, however, it wasn't nearly as swift. It stumbled on the way back, nearly tripping over its' two feet as it gripped the can with two front arms. Green stood up and stretched. "Charmander? I think we're about to catch our first pokemon."

Charmander followed Green as she strolled into the woods. There was a sound like something eating something sloppily but happily, and after coming across a few empty cans, Green walked around a tree to find a Munchlax, face buried in the can of strawberries. It seemed like it had far more trouble with this one than the last one, as red splatters went all down its' front. It smelled of alcohol even from here. It stood up, apparently intent to bolt, but it collapsed instead, letting out a low "Muuuunch...." as it fell face down.

Green looked to Charmander, then to it, feeling like she had somehow cheated. "Um, Charmander, just make sure it's down."

Charmander walked slowly up to the thing, and poked it with a toe a few times. It looked up to Green. "Char?"

The Munchlax reached up and grabbed Charmander's tail, just above the flame, and swung the whole pokemon around with a sudden and unexpected strength that drove the lizard into a tree. It got up, swaying slowly back and forth as it measured Charmander up with bloodshot eyes.

Charmander got to its' feet, eyes blazing with fury. "Char..." It snarled, spreading its' arms wide in a battle stance.

"Use scratch on it, Charmander!" Green yelled, realizing that this battle may just be starting. Charmander ran forward with claws flashing, but when it swiped Munchlax lurched drunkenly out of the way, making Charmander whiff with a large haymaker that set it off balance. The Munchlax shot out an arm, smacking Charmander and sending it rolling. In that movement, Green saw how this thing must have taken the food. It was slow, but in that burst of action it had moved quicker than its' bulk seemed to indicate. This thing must be used to running away from trainers (though the alcohol had given it beer muscles.) Charmander struggled to its' feet even as Munchlax began to laugh, apparently immensely pleased by the new sparring buddy.

"Charmander, use..." Green began, then noticed the look in the little guy's eyes. They flashed red for a moment, and Charmander opened his mouth to the laughing Munchlax. A spray of fire roared out, covering the thing completely. Whether spurred on by the alcohol fumes or by the anger of the charmander, Green didn't know, but she suspected it wasn't a normal ember attack.

Munchlax stumbled and fell back again, moaning to itself. Green's pokeball caught it as it hit the ground, and as the red light on the pokeball dimmed, it struggled no more.

Green walked over and picked up the pokeball, smiling as she put it into her bag. Well, this was amazing news! It looked like there were indeed alterations to the world, and not all of them disadvantageous. "Hey, buddy, looks like we did it!"

Green turned to Charmander, who was groaning. Now that the battle was over, the bruises were really taking their toll on Charmander. He took a step towards Green, trying to look tough, but she could already see how it limped from where it had been smacked against the tree. Green smiled and walked up to it, patting it on the head and scratching it behind the ears. "Good job there. I'm gonna return you for now. Thanks buddy."

Charmander looked pleased and a bit relieved as the red light engulfed it, leaving Green alone again. She turned to Viridian City again, and was walking down the road in silence when she suddenly realized that she hadn't ever opened new the package meant for Giovanni. Settling down against a tree, Green took out the bottle of cooking alcohol, and the parcel. Taking a swig, Green put the bottle aside and opened the package with one hand, the strings falling away to reveal cloth wrapping that fell away with only a little bit of fiddling. Inside was a slim brown paper envelope, an object so normal it made Green frown. Twisting the metal tabs on the envelope with a flick of the wrist, Green poured out its' contents. Five wads of crisp bills flopped onto the ground. Green took one hesitantly. He couldn't be sure, still not knowing what the money was really like here, but he was sure enough to know that it was an illegal amount of money. He slid one of the bills from one of the wads almost absentmindedly, and replaced all the wads even as she stuffed the single bill in her pocket.

"Well. That's interesting." Green murmured as she slowly and mechanically put the parcel back the way she found it.

Chapter 4-Viridian City is Boring

Green walked through the doors of the Viridian City pokemon center, the pink light of dusk giving way to the bright lights of the building that seemed part hotel lobby, part hospital. Large circular cushioned couches dotted the floor, and three young people were lounging on them, two sleeping and the third flipping through a pokedex. She walked up to the counter, where a smiling pink-haired Nurse Joy was smiling at her.

"Welcome to the Pokemon Center! May I take your Pokemon please?" Joy asked, offering a tray with six indents to Green.

Green placed her two balls in the tray, and Nurse Joy nodded. "It'll be just a few minutes. Please feel free to take a seat. I'll be sure to get you."

Green wandered over to a seat and plopped down, sighing at the feel of something soft for a few minutes. She simply sat there, listening to the sounds of the Pokemon Center as she rested her eyes.

There was a groan as someone sat down next to her. Green opened her eyes and looked up expectantly, but rather than Nurse Joy there was the other girl who had been viewing her pokedex with intent. She was smiling nervously, and looked like one of those people who would keep talking well after one became uninterested in the subject. She had green hair pulled back into a ponytail, dark brown skin and thin silver glasses. "Hello there. My name is Marta! I've never seen you here before. Are you a Pokemon trainer?"

Green sighed. "Yeah. I just started this morning." Everyone in this world was so bubbly. It was gonna give her a cavity sometime soon. She hoped that with a curt response, she's forestall any more questioning.

"I thought so! I'm here from the Cinnabar Islands on my way to Pewter City. I just started being a trainer not long ago myself. Isn't it exciting out there? I was hoping to stop and get the badge here, but it looks like the leader's been gone for a while." Marta said, seemingly spurred on more by the reply than by the tone of voice.

"Yeah." replied Green, wondering if faking like she had to take a shit would slow this girl down, or if she'd just follow along and talk from the next stall. Marta was about to speak again, so Green cut in swiftly with a question to change the subject. "So! What was your starter, anyhow?" Green grinned after she said it, in a way she meant to look interested, but it came out looking strained and forced.

"Chikorita." She replied promptly and proudly. "Professor Elm had some extra that they bred."

Green nodded, and only half listened as Marta started talking excitedly about the day she had gotten to choose her starter. Nurse Joy came in the middle of the story, creating only a minor pause as Green got her pokemon back.

"So then I was sent up here to Viridian City. I'm just glad I got here before dark!" Marta continued in her bubbly tone of voice. "What kind of pokemon do you have?"

"A Munchlax and a Charmander so far." Green replied, opening Charmander's pokeball even as she spoke. Charmander looked pleased to see Green, and she scratched him on the top of his head even as curled on the couch, his flaming tail swishing absentmindedly in the air. She had been looking over Marta's features carefully, and judged the age as at least older than her body. "So, listen. Do you know where to get a corkscrew?"

Marta blinked, her face surprised. "What's that? What for?"

"Sparking grape juice." Green shot back, face blank.

"Um, I suppose I could get one. Just a minute." Marta got up and walked over towards the desk, leaving Green behind with Charmander.

"Ok, this is not gonna work. I need to find a fake id or something..." Green muttered as Marta strolled back up, and handed her a corkscrew with a smile.

"There was actually one on the concessions table!" Marta said, smiling.

Green looked at her blankly, then over her shoulder at the table laden with two large jugs, one clearly for coffee, as well as snacks and a selection of plates, cups and silverware. It was like a continental breakfast table from a Holiday Inn. "Wow. Things are... really easy in this world, huh?"

"What do you mean?" Marta asked, brows creasing.

Green screwed in the corkscrew and pulled at the bottle with all her might, releasing the cork with a pop. "Nothing. So, you want a drink?"

Munchlax's pokeball suddenly popped open, and the little pokemon was suddenly standing next to Charmander. It didn't still reek of alcohol, but there was a certain sharp smell to the air around it. It grinned and held out both its' arms.

"What does he want?" asked Marta, who was completely bewildered.

"Um... he loves sparking cider." Green said, pushing the small but surprisingly heavy thing away from her bottle of wine. She finally fumbled into her bag and produced an empty can, into which she quickly poured a fair cup of wine. Munchlax took it gratefully and sat down on the couch, sipping the cup with every sign of enjoyment. Green began to wonder if she had maybe created a monster.

Marta giggled at Munchlax. "Well, if he recommends it so much, of course I'll take some!" she got up, and fetched a pair of glasses from the table.

Green frowned at Marta's back. "Of course this never fucking happens when I'm a guy. Some dumb slut practically tossing her panties at me." Green took a sip from the bottle, and considered. "Alright, she thinks I'm 11 and a girl and doesn't think this is alcohol.... but still."

Marta came back, smiling and passing over two ceramic mugs. Green poured a fair measure into each cup, and the two drank deeply, not a word passing between them. Marta's eyes looked intrigued as she lowered her cup.

"I think this may be bad. It's supposed to be sparkling, right?"

"Tastes fine to me." Green said, not wanting to start that topic.

After the first glass, Marta let her Chikorita out, who played with Charmander as Munchlax apparently took a power nap. After the second, Marta got back into the swing of small talk. She began talking about herself a whole lot, during which time Green sat quietly and pretended to listen as she mentally built team after team of pokemon in her mind.

After the third glass, and near the bottom of the bottle however, Marta finally said something that caught Green's attention.

"Scho. So, I'm not JUST here to get my badge in Pewter Schity you know." Marta slurred suddenly, giving Green a conspiratorial wink. "I'm shupossed to do something here too." She smiled and winked again, or tried to, but used both eyes.

"Really?" Green responded, feigning some interest because it sounded like it could be relevant.

"Gotta go catch an eshcaped pokemon. He's caushing trouble here." Marta said, nodding.

"Why... why not tell me about it? Maybe I can help." Green said as steadily as she could manage.

"Professor Elm had shomeone bring our pokemon as eggsh." Marta said, grinning. "But one hatched here in Viridian Schityand got out. It'sh living in the lake now."

Green's eyes darted outside. There was only the barest hint of light outside now. She began to wonder if it was worth going outside now and trying to find the lake even now.

"So. I think I'm gonna go to the store real quick..." Green began, eyes already darting to the exit, when she was grabbed suddenly by Marta and pulled into an unexpected embrace.

"No, no! Don't go just yet!" Marta said in an oddly childish tone of voice. Green guessed she was easily 16 or so compared to her 11, but it was obvious that right now she was bizarrely the dominant one here. Marta was like a giant drunk child holding her mother.

Green wanted to pull away for a moment, until Marta shifted position, and Green's head ended up buried in Marta's cleavage. She hesitated for a moment, and then realized she wasn't possibly gonna get hit, and buried her face lovingly into Marta's beasts. Green hadn't really paid attention to the girl's bustline, but it wasn't bad at all. B cup, maybe C. Marta began to snore softly, and Green pulled away from her just enough to look down her shirt. From here, Green could make them out in detail. She sighed and got back into position, nuzzling her head deeply back in place.

Before she could really consider it further, she found herself drifting off to sleep. All in all, it wasn't a terrible end to a first day.

The beginning of the second day could have been better. Green sat up slowly, smacking her lips as the light that had awoken her up streamed in through the windows surrounding the room. A blanket was covering her and Marta, who was still passed out underneath her, mouth slightly ajar. The bottle of wine was gone, as were the cups they had left behind. Munchlax, Charmander and Chikorita were all sleeping nearby. Everything was actually fine, except the headache. It was pounding. Green simply pressed the palms of her hands into her eyes and pressed until all she saw was the swirling colors behind her eyes. She stayed this way for a few minutes until the headache went away, then got up and walked to the concessions table slowly. There she got a couple glasses of water, and a likely looking fruit, and made her way back to her seat. There, she slowly drank one of the glasses of water as she pulled the fruit open, found it to be an orange, and ate it slowly.

Finally, her headache slowed, and the light wasn't so harsh anymore. "Water when you drink, gotta remember."

Green looked to the sleeping Marta, who had curled up on the couch. She looked pretty dead to the world. Green supposed she could wake Marta up, but maybe better to just deal with this now, come back and wake her up.

Green returned Munchlax to its' pokeball, and nudged Charmander, who uncurled and yawned. "Let's go. I got an idea." As they headed out of the Pokemon Center, Green grabbed a sandwich from a fresh basket and shoved it in her pocket.

Taking a right from the front door on a hunch, Green walked for a bit, passing a few houses before coming to the west end of Viridian City. A pond shone there in the morning light, water lapping gently against the shore. Green stepped up to the edge of the lake, look the sandwich from her pocket, and began slowly tearing chunks off and tossing them in the water.

Soon there were multiple chunks floating there, bobbing on the surface while slowly absorbing water.

"Be ready, buddy." Green said to Charmander under her breath.

Suddenly, something snapped one of the chunks up, and another. Something was snapping them all up from under the surface like Jaws, but Green was ready. "Charmander, ember on the water!"

Charmander let out a small but steady stream of fire. Directed right at the water like this, steam was already rising and water bubbling. Whatever it was didn't like it, and it suddenly shot above water, furious.

Charmander hadn't been expecting it, so the charging Totodile hit it straight on, thrashing with arms and legs, scratching Charmander in a rage. Charmander blew another stream of fire at Totodile that hit straight on, but it didn't seem to affect Totodile much, only make it angrier. It rushed forward and suddenly clamped its' powerful jaws down on Charmander's tail. Charmander screeched in pain, and ran in a panicked circle, scratching madly at his foe's head while the Totodile held on tight.

"Charmander, return!" Green yelled, snagging Charmander with the red beam. The Totodile seemed confused at the sudden loss of his target, but quickly shifted focus to Green, who threw her other ball. "Munchlax!"

Munchlax came out with a yawn, and a squint into the sudden intrusion of light. Its leisure was short lived, because Totodile hit it with a spray of water that knocked him over backwards.

"Munchlax, tackle!" Green yelled, getting eager now. Munchlax ran forward, but missed completely before turning around again. It really squinted into the light now, and it looked upset. Totodile scratched at Munchlax with its' claws, forcing it back a nervous step. "Munchlax! Tackle it and I'll get you a damn drink!"

Munchlax perked up, and when Totodile rushed in this time, Munchlax met it coming the other way. Totodile went careening back, and Green heaved a pokeball. It shook for a few moments, and finally stopped with a ping.

Green picked up Totodile's pokeball with a satisfied grin. Munchlax was already smiling up at Green, expecting his promised gift. "I'll give you something to drink when I get some more. Be patient." She returned the now scowling Munchlax, and clicked all three balls into place as she headed for the Pokemon Center.

"THINGS HAVE BEEN GOING ABOVE AVERAGE FOR YOU" said a voice that was completely unexpected in this place and time. The deep bass of that horribly familiar speech those shadow people used hurt the ears and deep into the brain.

Things went from colorful all around to grey. This had never happened before. One shadow man was there now, but his triangular eyes were of a deep, icy blue, so dark they seemed to fade into his body.

"Who... are you?" Green asked slowly, uncertainty creeping into his voice.

"I HAVE A STAKE IN THE GAME" The figure responded evenly. "YOU MUST KNOW THAT ODDS ARE IN YOUR FAVOR. FOR THE MOMENT."

"Really? That's good to..." Green hesitated and rethought the word choice. "Why only for the moment?"

"IT HAS BEEN DECIDED THAT ADDITIONAL OBSTACLES MUST BE ERECTED AND OTHERS CHANGED. YOU HAVE TOO MUCH KNOWLEDGE." The shadow man said in a voice like vibrating lead.

"Wha...what do you mean?" Green asked, but now she was backing away. The air behind her, though there was clearly nothing there, had turned solid. She cowered against the far wall as the shadow man exploded into wisps of shadow. Each tore into Green, going through skin and deep into nerves, and suddenly Green felt the horrible sensation of having memories dry up, get siphoned out like gas from a car. Suddenly, she felt the knowledge of the pokemon game mostly leave her. That is, she remembered all of the pokemon still, and was aware that it was a game, but suddenly the story, as simple as it was, had been scoured from her mind.

"THE FIELD HAS BEEN LEVELED. THE GAME MAY COMMENCE." the thing said, and suddenly the slivers of shadow pulled out, giving Green the sensation that something was unplugging from her central nervous system. And suddenly, as quickly as it had come, it was gone, leaving Green gasping on the ground.


	2. Act 2, Chapters 5 to 8

Act 2

Chapter 5-Disappointment

Green woke up in a bed, and was so bewildered to find herself as such that she screamed until Nurse Joy came barreling into the room.

"What's the matter? Are you hurt?" Joy asked hurriedly, checking her forehead with a worried expression.

Green finally got some control, and her breathing slowed. "Fine. I'm fine.... how did I end up here?"

Nurse Joy smiled and opened the window in the room. "Your green-haired friend went out to the pond and found you lying on the ground. She brought you here right after."

Green smiled absentmindedly as she reached for her pokeballs. Her belt, which had three pokeballs, had two. Green's smile vanished, and when she looked up to yell at Joy, she was gone already. Green didn't have to let her anger seethe long, because Marta came in, smiling brightly.

"Green! Thank you so much! Professor Elm was so happy!" she said bubbly, plopping in the chair next to the bed.

"What do you mean?" Green shot back, still looking in her clothes for the third pokeball.

"I saw that you captured Totodile, so I sent it back to Professor Elm! Thank you so much for helping me out. I must've overslept this morning." Marta said casually, in a way that made Green's teeth grind.

"So you took the Pokemon I captured and gave it away while I was passed out." Green said, her voice coming out even and hollow.

Marta seemed to notice the edge in Green's voice, and looked apprehensive. "That was what you were going to do, right?" she asked, and Green once again had that bizarre knowledge that though this girl was older, Green was the leader here.

"Sure. Well, thanks for bringing me here anyhow." Green struggled out of the covers, and pulled on her overshirt that was thrown over a nearby chair. She felt like yelling at Marta, but also felt that Marta was the kind of girl who would burst into tears if yelled at. Best to brush her off now. "It was nice meeting you and stuff, but I'm sure we both..."

"Well, I have good news for you!" Marta said, smiling even brighter. "Since you caught Totodile, I'm free to continue on to Pewter City with you! Isn't that great!" She motioned to her pack, which was sitting in the corner looking ready for a trip.

Green's eyes narrowed. This was just annoying now. True this girl did have a nice rack, but she was as dumb as a bag of hammers. Plus, she had cost Green a pokemon already, which annoyed her. For a few minutes Green had thought that nearly half her pokemon team was done, but it turns out things may not be that easy. Green opened her mouth to tell Marta she couldn't come, but instead got another idea.

"Marta? Here, take this." Green handed her the crisp bill pulled from the parcel. "Would you mind doing me a little favor since I caught that Totodile?" she asked sweetly.

"Of course!" Marta said, looking as keen as a newborn puppy. "Whatever you want!"

"Good. Then see how much alcohol you can buy with that. Vodka or rum for preference." Green said, speaking briskly to hopefully overcome the inevitable questions.

Marta looked at the bill and back at Green again. "Um, alcohol?"

"Yes."

Marta hesitated for a few minutes, opening her mouth as if to speak, and then closing it a few different times before she finally smiled again. "Well, I do owe you I suppose. I'll be back in a little while." and with that, she walked out, leaving Green alone again.

Green sat back with a groan. Dammit, it looked like she was stuck with this girl until Pewter City at least. Thinking of Pewter City got her thinking of Viridian City, and Viridian City got her thinking of the parcel. She took it out, and frowned at it. There had been something about this package... something about who it was going to, but it seemed to slip Green's mind entirely now. All she could think was that she'd have to drop off the package before hitting Viridian Forest. With a shrug, she stowed the parcel back in her bag. It would come to her if it was important.

After a half hour, during which Green mostly enjoyed the bed and scratched Charmander on the head, Marta came back, carrying a box in both hands. She looked exhausted. Green sat up, looking curious.

"All they had was vodka, so I bought all they had. Here's your change." Marta said, pouring some coins in Green's open hand.

Green pulled the lid off the box. There were about twenty bottles in the box, and none looked small. "Wow! Thanks Marta! How old are you anyhow?"

"Eighteen. How come?" She asked, looking pleased to see Green happy.

"You don't look it. Want a drink?" Green asked pleasantly, cracking open one of the bottles.

Munchlax's pokeball opened nearly on command, and Green passed over another empty can she'd filled with clear alcohol. Munchlax took it happily, and began sipping at the can with gusto. Green poured a second drink for herself, and took one large swig, making a face as it went down.

"No thank you. I don't drink." Marta said, blushing.

Green snorted in humor, and continued on her glass.

After a drink, Green felt a lot more like getting on the road. She got up and stretched, but looked curiously at the box of alcohol. It'd be too hard to carry all of those bottles on the road. Green walked to the corner of the room, which had a PC sitting on a desk. She turned on the screen, and after a moment it lit up, showing her the words, "Hello Green, which PC would you like to connect with?"

Green skipped "Someone's PC" and went to "Green's PC." She wasn't sure how the computer knew it was her, but she decided to not ask questions. Sure enough, it gave the option to store items. She chose the option, and a box next to the PC, which Green had suspected was an extra hard drive, popped open. "Please place your item in the box." the screen prompted. She slid a bottle into the box, and with a flash it disappeared. The computer pinged, and a small picture of the bottle appeared in her box. Green smiled, and pulled out all the bottles save two. Once put away, Green got up, cracking her back with a pleased sigh.

Marta, who had been sitting quietly at the bed's edge, smiled. "Are you ready to go then?"

"Sure, why not. I've gotta stop off at the gym before we exit town though. I gotta drop off a package."

Green and Marta left the Pokemon center, but not before Nurse Joy double checked her temperature both with her hand and a thermometer. The two were out and approaching the gym before long, however. Green noticed dismally that it was already past noon. She wasn't making nearly the progress she thought she would.

The gym was huge, ominous, and very obviously empty. The windows were black, and high up to discourage anyone looking in. Green walked to the front door, which was plain other than the mail slot. A sign near the front door announced this as the Viridian Gym, but it was covered in dirt, giving it a decidedly forgotten look. Green slid the parcel into the slot, and turned away. "C'mon, this place gives me the creeps."

"It WOULD give you the creeps you chicken." Said a voice that Green had been hoping not to hear yet. She turned with a sigh to see Blue, who was looking up at the gym and smirking. "Nice big gym here. Someone should take this place over to not let it go to waste."

"What do you want, Blue?" Green asked more sharply than he'd intended.

Blue grinned at Green, then noticed Marta for the first time. "Aren't you gonna at least introduce me to your girlfriend?" he mocked with a smile. "She should know who I am so it's no surprise when I beat you."

Marta opened her mouth, but Green cut in. "Her name's Marta. She's charmed." Green pulled out a pokeball. "2 on 2 then?"

Blue smiled and pulled out a pokeball too. "Sounds good to me. You ruined my plans, you know. Red was supposed to get Bulbasaur, but we were supposed to be switched. I was gonna take Charmander. But you just had to mess it up, huh? Well Ill teach you a lesson. Go, Starly!" Blue let the pokeball fly, and it released the bird pokemon. It chirped as it fluttered in mid-air, glaring at Green with its' narrowed eyes.

"Charmander!" Green cried, throwing his own pokeball. Though she didn't show it, the Starly had disturbed her. It was arguably a better pokemon than Pidgey, after all, and it wouldn't be as much a brush off. Even as Green tried to remember what the rest of Blue's team was usually, the information eluded him like it was dodging out of the way. Charmander burs forth, and its' eyes almost immediately found the bird pokemon circling the battlefield.

"Quick attack!" Blue yelled, throwing out a hand.

Charmander yelped as the Starly blurred past it, sending it spinning. "Smokescreen, Charmander!" Green yelled, and Charmander obliged by belching out a thick smoke, which covered it in a cloud.

"Wing attack, Starly! Don't be discouraged!" Blue yelled.

Starly went wheeling back around in midair, and swooped in towards the cloud. It entered, and there were a few whooshing noises. Charmander skid sideways out of the cloud, having dodged this attack.

"Charmander, ember!" Green prompted, and Charmander hit the smoke with a burst of flame. Starly shrieked, and zoomed out of the smoke, its' feathers singed.

"Quick attack! It's out of the smoke!" Blue ordered as Charmander grinned at the Starly's fright. Starly wheeled in midair and shot down like a bullet, hitting Charmander soundly and driving it on its' butt. The Starly stayed in close, flapping its' wings and looking for somewhere to scratch with its' claws.

"Ember it Charmander!" Green said, and Charmander hit the Starly square on with the blast of fire. Starly may have been quite the fireball, but it couldn't take hits well. It struggled, and then fell limp as smoke slowly curled off its' singed body.

Blue slowly reached up and returned Starly. "Not bad. But I'll bet that I'm already a better trainer than you." He threw a pokeball. "I went near the entrance to Indigo Plateau and found this guy! Go, Larvitar!"

The small rock-type pokemon appeared, and glared at Charmander through narrowed eyes. "Sandstorm!" yelled Blue, and Larvitar obliged by throwing its' hands out, and whipping up a stinging cloud of sand. Charmander really seemed to dislike it, but he stood strong and unmoving.

"Charmander, ember!" Green said, but without much conviction. The plume of fire did hit the small figure of larvitar, but the thing hardly flinched. "Where's your Squirtle anyhow?"

"Screech!" Blue commanded simply, and Larvitar let out a high-pitched wail that had Charmander covering its' ears in pain. "Oh, I thought you said 2 on 2." Blue grinned. "I can use him too if you want."

"Smokescreen!" Green ordered, and the sandstorm was suddenly darker. It was hard to see any action inside.

"Finish it with tackle, Larvitar." Blue said, bored. Green could just barely see something leap at Charmander, and not even the smoke made it miss. Charmander slid out of the cloud on its' back, and Green returned it.

"Fine. Let's see how this works. Go Munchlax!" Green threw the pokeball, and Munchlax appeared in the sandstorm. Though she couldn't see it, it did look very confused, and she suspected it still felt the drink from earlier.

"Bite, Larvitar!" Blue commanded, pointing a finger. The blur that was obviously Larvitar jumped at the larger Pokemon, and latched onto Munchlax's arm.

Munchlax went crazy, and began running in circles, trying to throw Larvitar off. "Lick, Munchlax!" Green yelled, and Munchlax stopped his running long enough to drag his tongue slowly along the body. Larvitar stiffened, and suddenly the sandstorm began to die down. Green grinned. Larvitar was paralyzed.

"Tackle, Munchlax!" Green said airily. Munchlax pulled Larvitar off his body, took a step back, and slammed the other Pokemon with his bulk. Larvitar went skidding back to Blue, where it stiffly tried to get up.

"Don't bother." Blue said coldly to his Larvitar, returning it. He glared at Green for a moment, then his face burst into his traditional casual smirk. "Well, I guess it's lucky for you I didn't use Squirtle. Why not have some more Pokemon next time so we can have a real match?" he turned and walked off, not looking back. "Smell ya later!"

Green and Marta watched as Blue walked away. "Gee, he really wanted to beat you." Marta said conversationally.

Green looked Marta over for a minute, and then apparently decided against using sarcasm. It probably wouldn't work anyhow. "Yes." The two walked off towards the North Entrance of the town, and Viridian Forest. "Did your parents ever say something like, 'thank god you're pretty' or something?"

Marta considered seriously. "I don't think so. Why, do you think I'm pretty?" Marta asked, face turning red.

"Fucking forget it. Let's just go."

Chapter 6-Fucking Forest

Green and Marta had stopped for lunch in the small rest house that lay right in front of the forest. On the ground around them, Charmander, Munchlax and Chikorita snacked at their lunches with gusto. Munchlax had a half-empty can near him, and made less noises than the other two pokemon, though he looked no less pleased.

"Gee, I hope we don't run into a lot of trainers here." Marta said, looking worried as she finished off her sandwich. "I hear there's lots of trainers here, and they like Bug-type pokemon. I hope Chikorita won't run into a lot of problems."

Green shrugged. "Just catch a few more pokemon while you're here. It's not good just to have one, anyhow."

Marta shook her head, and smiled at Green with an exasperated expression. "Oh, I don't just have one Pokemon, Green. That'd be silly."

This was news to Green, who looked up. "Wha? But all I've ever seen you send out is Chikorita."

Marta reached onto her belt, and produced a Pokeball. "I had to get here from Cinnabar Island somehow, right?" She said as she pressed the button.

Luckily there was nobody in the center of the room. It was immediately filled by a huge, coiled serpent. The Gyarados looked furious as it glared around the room, then as it saw Marta it's expression turned up at the corner, and it brought it's head down to eye level, making a deep contented noise. It took a moment before Green realized it was happy, and not just another kind of angry. Marta pet its' head lovingly for a moment, then she reached into her bag and pulled out a handful of the brown pokemon food balls, tossing them casually at the thing. It snapped them out of the air in one deft bite, and chewed happily as Marta returned it.

"His name's Jeffy." Marta said with a smile on her face as she clicked the pokeball back in place.

"Jeffy." Green repeated evenly. She could never understand nicknaming pokemon. It just seemed kinda silly for the most part. Especially if people had pokemon nicknamed Jeffy. How were you supposed to even fight a pokemon like that and not feel just a little embarrassed? And Green felt a little pang of annoyance at Marta's sudden change in pokemon status. She felt that being the one with the better team had been her main sticking point, and suddenly that had been taken away. Well, she'd remedy that here in the forest. There had been a Munchlax on the way to Viridian City, apparently a Larvitar near the Pokemon League entrance, and even a Totodile in Viridian City. Surely there would be decent pokemon here?

The two trainers packed up after their lunch, and left for the woods. Marta, as always, kept up a slow but steady conversation about nothing important. Her chatter was actually good, Green felt, because it means she could really look hard for pokemon because she'd be ignoring Marta so soundly.

Something caught her eye, and she put out an arm to stop Marta. "Woah, what's that?"

something lowered slowly from the tree above. An unmoving, chitinous yellow body that was unmistakably a Kakuna. It turned on a thread to look at the two of them.

"Charmander, ember." Green said with satisfaction. Charmander obliged, shooting a pull of fire that knocked the thing to the ground, smoking. She tossed a pokeball, and the thing was sucked inside, where it only struggled a moment. Green picked up the pokeball and clicked in place on her belt.

Marta clapped furiously as she bounded up to Green. "Yay, good job! I'll try to catch the next one, alright?" she asked, eyes sparkling behind her glasses, and ran ahead, excited now.

Green sighed and followed at a brisk walk. "This isn't a race! Geez!" Green hadn't even really intended to USE the Kakuna or anything. The idea that Blue had more pokemon than her was a bit annoying was all, and she wanted a few more soldiers. Plus, she got a good feeling whenever she caught a new pokemon. More importantly, Beedrill was a giant bee with drills for arms.

It was a few minutes until they found another pokemon. Marta was silent now, scanning the brush in eager anticipation, and she squealed as she caught sight of one. It was halfway up a tree, in front of a crack in a large tree trunk, out of which leaked a deep golden honey. Further up the tree, far out of reach and range of throwing, Combees flew to and away from the tree, bringing pollen and going out for more. The pokemon was a Heracross, which didn't even notice them as it drank heavily from the tree.

Green scowled. Life was fucking unfair.

Marta tossed a pokeball. "Go, Chikorita! Razor Leaf!" Chikorita came bursting out, and with a flick of the head shot out a volley of spinning leaves at the unsuspecting Heracross. It yelped in surprise as the leaves bit into it, and whirled around to see what had attacked it.

Heracross hissed, snapped open its' wings, and zoomed down to Chikorita, horn first. It let out a "Chika!" before it got hit, rolling it away in a painful sprawl. Chikorita got up slowly.

"Chikorita, synthesis!" Marta encouraged, pointing to the sky.

Chikorita arranged its' top leaf so it caught the full sunlight streaming through the trees, and its' wounds vanished as Chikorita let out a satisfied sigh.

Heracross settled for glaring fiercely at the smaller opponent, which unsettled it, but the grass pokemon didn't run.

"Chikorita, tackle! Show him your strength!" Marta exclaimed. Chikorita darted forward, lowering its' head at the much larger bug. The collision knocked it off its' feet, which seemed to surprise it as much as it did Green. Chikorta landed on its' feet as Heracross landed on its' back, and began rocking frantically back and forth. Marta's pokeball caught the thing on the chest, and while it shook violently at first, it wasn't enough to break the hold. The red light dimmed.

Green had been watching the fight with her arms folded, thinking. Marta wasn't too bad at battling. Well, that is to say that against a wild Heracross her Chikorita had performed well. She was kind of pissed that everyone else seemed to be catching the good Pokemon, (except for the Munchlax, but Green brushed that off) but at the same time she was glad her new teammate had a decent team. Still, she'd be damned if the next good Pokemon went to Marta. "Nice job. That Heracross looks like quite a scrapper."

Marta nodded happily as she scooped up her Chikorita. "Great job Chikorita! Now, let's see our new Pokemon!" She placed Chikorita down, picked the pokeball up off the ground and pressed the button. Heracross appeared in a rush of red light, wings spread wide, and stretched wide. Marta smiled down at the beetle. "You can go back to the honey if you'd like, Heracross. We're gonna take a rest here I think." Heracross grinned widely, and bounded back up the tree, where the crack in the bark was still dripping honey slowly.

Green sighed and pulled out her pokeball. Kakuna was released with a rush of red light, but it merely sat there and remained silent. Charmander wandered up to the bug and poked it with a claw. Green sat down and poured herself a drink, and poured a second one for Munchlax even as he let his last pokemon out.

Marta drank slowly from her water bottle, and poured some in a dish for Chikorita. She giggled at Green and Munchlax, who were tipping back their drinks at the same time with nearly the same expression.

Green looked up curiously. "What's so funny?"

Marta smiled. "Oh nothing. Some people and their pokemon start to act alike after a while. You and Munchlax had a moment."

Green stared down at Munchlax as it looked back up to her. The two shrugged and went back to their drinks. "So, Marta. What are you going to do after you get the Boulder Badge anyhow?"

Marta seemed to take the question seriously, chewing her sandwich thoughtfully as she considered. "Well, my plan was going to be to just get the badge because I was in the area and head home. Now I don't know." Marta smiled. "You look so determined that I sort of want to see all the gyms through."

Green smiled back, but she felt conflicted about her new traveling companion. She really hadn't ever counted on bringing anyone with her, and while it did provide some advantages there was always the very real possibility that Marta would turn out to be more of a liability than a help. Green thought about mentioning that it would best if they parted ways after Pewter, but a look into Marta's strangely pink eyes killed the words even before they formed. A part of Green was laughing at the rest, calling it stupid for caring about hurting the feelings of something that was theoretically just a whim of something else's imagination, but there was another part of her that rejected that idea. If she started alienating herself from human contact and began training constantly, she suspected it may start taking a toll on her mental health, especially because when she had to focus on Marta her mind couldn't wander to areas like, 'will I ever get my penis back.'

Green realized she had not spoken back to Marta for at least a few minutes, and Marta looked tense, as if she feared her words had upset Green. Green smiled weakly. "Well, you've already got some great pokemon. I'm sure we'll get all eight, no problem." Marta blushed, looking pleased, and part of Green mentally scolded the rest for its' cowardice.

The two gathered up their belongings and returned their Pokemon. The woods were serenely quiet as they ambled along, Marta admiring the scenery while Green kept alert for any new Pokemon.

There was a crashing in the brush, but instead of a pokemon a young boy burst out of the woods. He looked out of breath, and even younger than Green, but he had a few pokeballs on his belt and grinned when his eyes found theirs. "Hey, you're pokemon trainers, right?" The kid had a net slung across his back, and a large wide-brimmed hat resting on his back, kept steady by a string running around his neck.

Green considered just telling him that they weren't, but Marta spoke up before she could really even consider the lie. "We sure are!"

"Great!" He pulled out a pokeball. "I challenge you to a battle!" He yelled at Green, who was slightly ahead of Marta.

Green sighed and extracted a pokeball of her own. "Fine. Let's get this over with. Munchlax!" Munchlax appeared on the ground in front of Green, looking tired but happy as it swayed on the spot.. It still smelled vaguely of alcohol.

"Ledyba!" The other trainer responded, sending his pokeball flying. It opened in midair and spilled out the six-legged buzzing ladybug. "Safeguard!" he ordered, and Ledyba let out a silver shimmer that stayed in the air.

"Munchlax, use tackle!" Green responded, and Munchlax tucked his head down and sprang at Ledyba. It caught it in mid-air and sent the two crashing to the ground. Munchlax rolled off a furious-looking Ledyba.

"Comet punch!" the kid that Green couldn't help but think of as a bug trainer yelled. His Ledyba sprang up with glowing fists and walloped Munchlax four times with sharp, wicked blows.

Munchlax growled, and without prompting from Green rammed the thing again with a full body tackle that sent the lighter pokemon soaring. It skid along the ground and lay still.

The boy returned the bug and pulled out another pokeball. "Fine. That's a tough pokemon you got there. Go, Weedle!" The next pokeball let out out the small bug, who reared its' head to face Muchlax. The point at its' end gleamed dully in the light.

Munchlax narrowed his eyes at the poised Pokemon, and the two had a moment of silence pass between them. Finally, Weedle lunged with a shrill cry, and for a moment Green thought Munchlax was in trouble. Munchlax's arm shot out and caught Weedle right below the head before it could make contact. Weedle went from looking fierce to looking confused, and then Munchlax crushed by simply falling forward, pinning the thing under his body. Munchlax rolled off with a smile, and wandered over to Green with a pleased expression on its' face. Green, who knew what he was after, gave him the rest of the first bottle. There was still a second one after all.

The other trainer looked disappointed as he returned his Weedle. "Well. That hurt my self esteem a bit."

Green patted Munchlax, who was slurring "Muuunch..." as he paused from his slide into alcoholism. "Well, I'm sure that... you'll do fine." Green said slowly, knowing that she'd never see this guy again. "Bye!"

The other trainer nodded vaguely. "Yeah. I guess. Well, watch out. There's some tough trainer who came through here a while ago with an Ivysaur. I dunno if he's still around. He kept talking about being the best trainer ever and stuff."

Green narrowed her eyes. "Oh did he."

In the silence that followed, the other trainer started looking more and more uncomfortable. Finally, he pointed vaguely towards Viridian City. "Well... leaving."

Marta bounded up to Green, clapping her hands enthusiastically. "Good job! Your Munchlax is really strong! You hardly have to tell it what to do!"

"Well, I'm pretty sure it only knows two attacks..." Green muttered as she returned Munchlax.

Marta looked puzzled, and Green quickly added, "Well, I'm pretty sure he's just going for that reward. But he's certainly determined."

Marta smiled warmly at Green and put a hand on her shoulder. "You're being too modest. You always fight with such passion. It's like losing never crossed your mind."

It took Green a moment to analyze Marta's expression, and it embarrassed her to discover it was admiration. That was just great. Why in the name of God had she been latched onto some hyper touchy-feely emotions girl who apparently had the self-esteem of a limp noodle. Sure Marta had her charms, but the cynic that was Rudolph deep inside Green put it like this. She's a goddamn handicap. In more ways than one. Sure, she can get you alcohol but you can tell she doesn't like it. And secondly, not to put too fine a point on it, she's a pretty hot girl with a great set of tits and I am in the body of an 11 year old girl. It's like having a delicious fruit just out of reach. And it's not like I'm gonna let some guy ram me or anything. That would just feel... gay. At some level, for me, it would feel straighter and much hotter to just go ahead and...

Marta shook Green, looking worried as Green suddenly came to, looking around wildly. "What's wrong? You've been doing that a lot. Going all silent after little compliments like that."

Green nodded slowly. "Yes. Well. I have a lot to think about. Sorry if I'm coming off cold, it's not you. Let's keep going! I wanna try hitting Pewter City by dark."

Marta smiled and walked along behind Green, who was glad her back was to Marta. Being in this body was going to take a bit of trial-and-error, she felt. Marta didn't bring up the point of her silent lapses again, which pleased Green.

The next pokemon they came across was a Caterpie. Green didn't even bother sending out a Pokemon, but instead just tossed a pokeball at the thing. It caught it without much of a fuss, and the two continued without hardly a pause in their small talk. There was also another couple of trainers, which the two girls took turns fighting. Marta mostly used her new Heracross, as the bugs the trainers in the forest used were usually strong against Grass types. Green used her Charmander, and the bug users hardly stood a chance. Deep down she felt it was unfair to defeat trainer after trainer with the phrase "Charmander, ember" ad nauseam. Marta caught a Wurmple of her own with a casually tossed pokeball, and the two were in high spirits as they neared the end of the forest.

Green sighed in relief as she saw a sign reading 'Pewter City Rest House, 1/2 Mile' on the side of the path. Her legs were starting to ache. "Why don't we stop for a minute. Not much longer now."

The two had a light snack as Green flicked food balls to Charmander, who snatched them deftly out of the air with appreciative noises. Things were peacefully quiet, and the two enjoyed the atmosphere of the forest.

A crunching came slowly through the underbrush. The two froze, and Charmander perked up and swung his head. Out of the forest came a short, yellow and green ball with two mini legs. The smell of food must have alerted it, because it sniffed the air eagerly.

Green grinned. A Shroomish, how grand! "Charmander, scratch! Shoot to wound!" Charmander whipped forward and caught the Shroomish with two swift scratches that made it tumble backwards, yelping. Figuring that was enough, she tossed a pokeball. Charmander looked quite smug as the red light dimmed without much fuss. "Nice job Charmander! Wow, I wasn't expecting a Shroomish. Hehe, is great!"

Marta looked pleased. "Good for you! You needed a grass type, right?"

Green nodded happily. "Yup, and I've got a pokemon to help me with Brock's Gym now!"

Charmander, completely unexpectedly, looked crushed. He looked to Green with sudden hurt-filled eyes that made her feel horrible even before she knew what happened. Charmander turned its' back to Green.

Green shot a panicked glance to Marta, bewildered. "Um, what happened?"

Marta looked serious. "I think he thinks you think he's unreliable."

Green puzzled over the sentence for a minute, then realized what she must've meant. Green reached out and picked up Charmander, who resisted for a moment with an annoyed expression on its' face until Green said, "I thought it was understood I had total faith in you already. I already knew you were gonna help me with Brock's gym. I just think Munchlax might have a hard time, what with them being rocks."

Charmander hesitated for a moment, but smiled up at Green with a pleased expression. It accepted the head scratching, and no more was said as they all packed up to leave.

As the two turned a final bend in the path, they could see the rest house down a straight shot. Green looked pleased as they neared it, but around 200 feet from the building two figures stepped out into their path with grins that made green groan inside. These guys had 'thug' written all over them and she suspected she knew what they were.

"Hey, there's a fee to enter the rest house now, girls." Said the man on the right, who dressed nearly the same as the man on the left, with large trench coats and black hats. The only difference was the hair color, it seemed.

Green pulled out a pokeball. "Let's not mess around guys. If you're trying to shake us down you need to get moving."

Marta, who had looked puzzled, pulled out a pokeball as well, looking determined.

Both men hesitated, and the man on the left gave his partner a look that said, "maybe we should wait for the next pair." There was a long pause.

The other man snarled in anger and pulled out a pokeball of his own. "You little punks. The fee was just gonna be your money, but now it's gonna be your pokemon too!"

Both men threw out two pokeballs. A Pineco and Drowzee appeared in front of the left trainer, and in front of the right trainer a Tauros and a Spearow appeared. Both men were grinning wickedly.

Green threw out Kakuna, which appeared next to Charmander. "I'll take the one on the left. If you need help just say so."

"Green? Are these men Team Rocket?" Marta asked as she threw out her pokeballs, sending out Heracross and Chikorita with a flick of the wrist.

The words triggered something in Green. A repressed memory? So many things had been stirred by the words, but it was all confusing nonsense. Something about Mt. Moon though. No doubt about it, Mt. Moon. But what or why about Mt. Moon remained a mystery to Green. She certainly knew who Team Rocket was though. "I'd say yes."

Green leaned down and whispered something to Charmander. She pointed to Pineco, then to Drowzee, then to Kakuna. Charmander nodded.

The man on the left scowled. "Hey! No planning! Drowzee, confusion! Pineco, Rapid Spin!" The Drowzee went and closed its' eyes right away, and Charmander was outlined in a pale blue glow that looked as if it hurt. Pineco started spinning quickly on the spot, and it zoomed towards Kakuna, bouncing along the ground.

"Kakuna, harden!" Green yelled, and Kakuna shone white for a moment as it strengthened its' armor. Pineco rammed into it, but Kakuna held its' ground. "Charmander, ember!"

Charmander turned his head, ignoring the blue pain, and fired a stream of fire at Pineco, whom it caught completely unaware. It bounced away from Kakuna, who had not been damaged by Charmander's well aimed flame.

"Drowzee, Disable!" The man yelled, and Drowzee opened his eyes, which shone green. The blue glow disappeared from Charmander, to be replaced by a green one. Charmander's fire stopped, an he looked nonplussed. "Pineco, take down!" The pine cone, who already looked worse for the wear, launched itself at Kakuna with a desperate tackle.

Kakuna shone white again, and the blow that should have at least shook it didn't seem to budge him at all. Pineco looked as if he took more damage from the move, in fact.

"Charmander, smoke screen!" Green yelled, who was sure she knew what was going to happen next. Charmander spewed out smoke in Drowzee's direction, and she could see the Drowzee squinting through the smoke, having trouble making out the battle now. "Kakuna, harden!" Suddenly, as if on some unspoken order, Charmander sprinted at Pineco.

The man smirked. "Gotcha, kid. Pineco, Selfdestruct!" The Pineco, in command, began to glow with a quickly intensifying white light.

Charmander, who had already been rushing to Pineco, picked it up and hurled it towards Drowzee with all the might it could muster. It hid behind Kakuna then, trying to squeeze as much of itself behind Kakuna as possible.

Pineco exploded, and the blast cleared the smoke for the most part. Drowzee sat in the middle, looking dazed and hurt as it looked around for a clue of what was happening. Pineco lay smoking nearby. As Drowzee got to its' feet, it saw without registering it much a white glow in front of it. Kakuna, who had protected Charmander with its' body, was suddenly changing shape. Pointed arms folded out from the body, as well as wings and a real head as well. The Beedrill flexed its' wings and turned to glare at Drowzee.

"Fury Attack, Beedrill!" Green encouraged, and Beedrill rushed the psychic pokemon. It got five swift blows in with its' new arms, which proved too much for the Drowzee, who fell backwards with a thud.

The other trainer returned both pokemon. "How did you know I'd use that move?! Geez that's so unfair!" The guy looked to his partner, who's Spearow had fainted under Marta's assault. Tauros was still up, but the double-team of Chikorita and Heracross was obviously going to win. "Hey, we're out of here! Screw these kids!" The man ran off towards Viridian City then with a sudden rush, staying far away from their pokemon and not looking back to see if his partner was coming.

The other man returned his Tauros, but as he tried to follow his partner he found Beedrill in his way, brandishing his two menacing points. the man looked around, and realized he was surrounded by pokemon. A bead of sweat traveled down his face as he saw Charmander, flames sparking from his mouth as he growled at the man. "Look... look, what do you kids what? You don't need to hurt me, just... tell me what I gotta do."

Green scowled at the man. "Throw us your wallet."

The man hesitated for a moment, but as Heracross butted him in the back with his horn, the man scrambled in his pocket and threw Green the wallet.

Green picked it up and pocketed it without a word. "Now, tell us. You're Team Rocket, right?"

The man scowled, and his expression was still for a moment as he considered. Finally, he spoke slowly. "If you know that then you better let me go kid. We don't like it when people mess with our organiz..."

"Toss me your pokeballs." Green interrupted, glaring angrily at the man.

"What?" He asked, blinking in surprise at the demand.

"Give me your pokemon now, or I'm burning off your fucking clothes and dragging your ass to the police station in Pewter City. Toss me your fucking pokeballs and leave RIGHT NOW."

The man scowled, and looked down to his pokeballs with a pouty expression. "But, I stole these from..."

"Charmander!" Green intoned, and Charmander hit the man at the bottom of his trench-coat with a stream of fire. It took the screaming man a moment to put out the edge of the coat.

"Fine, fine, you crazy little hellspawn!" He tossed his pokeballs on the ground, and ran off towards Viridian City as fast as his legs could take him. The pokemon let him go, and the footsteps rattled down the path. He stopped for a moment once he was nearly out of earshot, and turned to speak. "Don't worry. We'll have our revenge at Mt. Moon." With that he grinned and rounded a band in the path, and soon they couldn't even make him out through the trees.

Green walked over and picked up the two pokeballs, dropping them in her left pocket. "We'll turn these in at the police station. We can do that, right?"

Marta nodded at Green with admiration in her eyes. "Yes, that's fine! Green, you really took care of that guy! That was amazing!"

Green smiled back. "I didn't do much. Really I just stole from a thief which is no big deal."

Marts shook her head. "But you disarmed him of his Pokemon, and now they'll be sent to a proper Pokemon ranch, plus you got his wallet so we can give it to the authorities!"

Green blinked. "Authorities? Oh, right. We can do that." She took the wallet out and pulled the money free from it. "Really, I was just wanting him to buy us a nice dinner." She had also been worrying about the mention of Mt. Moon. Of course, if they wanted the next badge they'd have to go there. She knew that, but she still felt it would just be trouble.

Marta giggled as the two walked towards the Pewter Rest House, the sun already pink in the distance.

Chapter 7-The New Brock

It was later on that night, and Green opened the door to their hotel room with a weary groan. Marta came in behind her, yawning as she placed her pack down and shut the door. Both looked exhausted. It had been about an hour over at the Pewter City Police Department, where Green had met with a blue-haired Officer Jenny (which confused Green, as they weren't in the games, or at least as far as she could remember) and told her about their encounter with the Team Rocket members. The officer was very kind and understanding, but she also insisted on the two remaining at the station until she had gotten the full story, as well as their names and a scan of their pokedexes. The pokemon were taken and transferred at once to a Pokemon ranch, and the wallet sealed in a plastic bag once an inventory had been taken of its' contents. Officer Jenny had thanked the two of them profusely for their assistance, and even as Green and Marta went to find a hotel two officers were deployed to the forest on a sidecar motorcycle. They had rented a hotel with some of the money they had gotten off the Rocket member, and the rest went to a large meal that was delivered up to the room.

After they had eaten their fill, Green excused herself to the bathroom to take a shower, realizing that she technically hadn't bathed since entering this body. Readying a change of clothing, she ran the shower and got dressed slowly and methodically. Stepping out of the last bit of clothes and tossing them in a heap in the corner, Green took a moment to look herself over in the mirror. She hadn't technically seen herself fully naked yet either, come to think of it. If she took a step back, so to speak, and looked at herself objectively then she was quite attractive. She looked away and got into the shower, letting her tense muscles relax in the hot water.

When she was finished, spending longer than normal perhaps because of all the new novelties, she toweled herself off and got dressed in some light clothing obviously meant to be slept in.

Marta was sitting on her bed as Green entered the room, scribbling happily in a notebook. She closed it and gathered a towel and some clothes. "Whew, good timing. I was just finished. It'll feel so nice to take a nice long shower after all that walking." still stretching with a smile, she wandered into the bathroom and shut the door.

There was a small device in the closet that looked like a washing machine that Green shoved her clothes into. From the look of the settings on the device, it also doubled as a drier, which was convenient if not exactly understandable. As the shower started up in the bathroom, Green settled on her bed. She reached down to her bag and took a drag from the bottle in there, as a nightcap, replacing it gently before settling back again. Everything was quiet as the shower hissed in the next room, and Green found her eyes closing slowly even as she wondered if she should even bother getting under the covers.

The next morning, Green woke with a snort as she felt the sting of sunlight on her eyelids. She groaned and turned slowly from the window, smacking her lips as she thought about getting more shuteye.

"Good morning!" Marta said cheerfully as she saw Green's eyes flutter. "I got breakfast!"

The smell of food coaxed Green's eyes open, and she sat up in bed with a groan, slipping a pair of socks on before sliding up to the pair of ham and egg sandwiches Marta had sitting on the table, along with a few bottles of some sort of juice. From the way Marta was bustling around she must be a morning person, which annoyed Green a bit, who was certainly not a willing one. Green grabbed and ate her sandwich slowly and mechanically.

Marta hummed as she ate her own breakfast, flipping leisurely through a magazine she has obviously procured during the sandwich trip. It had the eight badges of the Kanto Pokemon League on the front, with "Battling Digest" emblazoned across the top.

"Trying to read up on the League, eh?" Green asked, once she got food in her stomach and some juice to wash it down.

Marta nodded seriously. "I never thought I'd even think about getting all of the badges. Looks like we're going to have to go across all of Kanto!"

Green nodded vaguely as she finished off her bottle of juice, and picked another one up off the table. She carefully evened the level out in the full and empty bottles, making two half-bottles. Turning to her bag, she casually drew out the bottle and added vodka in equal measures, topping the bottles off. Releasing Munchlax, who yawned and stretched in the morning light, she sipped hers even as she passed him one. Munchlax took it gratefully, and slowly drank at the thing with his eyes closed.

Marta eventually put away her magazine with a satisfied noise. "Well, are you ready to go?"

Green tossed the remainder of her sandwich to Munchlax, who ate it as Green finished off her juice. "Sure, just gotta get dressed." Green yawned and wandered into the bathroom with her change of clothes and toothbrush. While in the bathroom, brushing her teeth, Green considered. On the one hand, she was ready to take on the gym challenge. On the other hand, who knew what kind of changes had been made to the rock gym. Shroomish was the best change she had on this gym, and she hadn't even let him out of his pokeball yet.

As Green walked out of the bathroom, straightening her hat, she decided that going for it now would be the best bet. Asking Marta to train first would be a good idea, but there was a part of her that wouldn't allow her to do that. She had a reputation she needed to keep up, if not for Marta then at least to beat Blue and Red along the way. She looked to Marta. "Let's roll."

On the way to the gym, the two passed a Pokemon Mart, and Marta snapped her fingers. "Right, I need some more pokeballs! Let's go inside for a minute."

Green nodded vaguely. She thought she only had two or three more pokeballs from the stock Professor Oak had given her, so restocking now couldn't hurt. She followed, and smiled as she saw the small, familiar pokemon center. Marta had walked right up to the counter, and was asking for pokeballs.

"Pokedex, please." the woman behind the counter said pleasantly, holding out her hand. Marta handed it over, and the woman plugged it into a console behind the counter. The woman scanned her screen for a moment, and smiled. "What can I get for you?"

"Six pokeballs, please. Oh, and four antidotes." she said with a smile. Marta looked to Green as the woman retrieved her order. "What's on your mind?"

Green wondered internally what was sold on the shelves if the important things were all behind the counter, and scanned a shelf. Energy bars, a magazine rack, and other small traveling amenities littered the shelves. She turned to Marta. "Nothing, just don't know what to get."

Marta got her order, thanked the girl behind the register and walked to the magazine rack, where she scanned it curiously while Green walked up to the counter.

Green handed over her pokedex, and the woman behind the counter plugged it in. The pokedex turned on and showed Green a total of her money. She looked at it for a moment, and glanced at a list of available pokeballs. She perked up when she noticed not just pokeballs, but great balls, ultra balls and even net balls, heal balls, luxury balls and dusk balls. She only had enough money for a couple of the good pokeballs, so she calculated her order in her mind to give herself at least a little bit of spending money after should the need arise. "I'll take four pokeballs, one ultra ball, and two dusk balls." Green felt confident with the order, knowing that the best pokemon were usually in caves, and Mt. Moon was coming up after all. Green waited a few minutes, and her order was delivered. Green's total on her pokedex dropped noticeably, and the girl behind the counter disconnected the pokedex with a pull of the cord.

"Have a great day!" the woman said cheerfully, waving at Green and Marta as the two emptied their orders from the paper bags into their bags.

Ten minutes later they were standing in front of the gym's front doors. It was eerily quiet here, and the high cold windows around the building from the outside looked dead and foreboding, so like the Viridian Gym. The only difference here was a sign out front, detailing this place as the Pewter Gym, run by Gym Leader Brock and specializing in rock type Pokemon.

Green reached out and pushed the left door open slowly, the huge wooden plank creaking as it revealed the gym's interior. Inside the ground was made of smooth hewn rock, up until the main battling ring, which looked like a quarry yard. Soft hanging fluorescent lights lit the gym evenly and professionally, and the circle of high windows from the inside left a brilliant view of the high forest to one side, and a mountain that must have been Mt. Moon to the other. A man sat patiently on a flat rock near the center of the room, reading a book before he looked up at his new guests.

Before anyone could move, a man next to the door grinned at the both of them. "Hey there, champ-to-be! I'll let you in on a secret about..."

"Shut up!" Green snapped, annoyed. The man back off, holding his hands up to show surrender.

Brock flipped his book closed. "Ah, welcome! This is the Pewter City Gym. I'm Brock. I take it you lovely ladies are here to battle for the Boulder Badge?" Brock stood up, put his book in his pocket, and crossed his hands across his chest. A confident smirk stood out on his face, even if his eyes looked closed to slits.

"Yes sir, we are." Marta responded, entering the gym first. Green pulled the door shut behind her and followed. "Yes, I'm Marta, and this is Green. We are indeed here to challenge you." She spoke timidly, as if this was costing her every ounce of courage she had.

Brock smiled encouragingly. "Of course. Then the two of you should decide who will fight first, and who second. This will be a 2 on 2 pokemon battle for the both of you. And I'm sure you'll do fine." The last part was thrown to Marta as Brock took the opportunity to step in closer.

Marta blushed, and Green stepped in between the two of them, scowling at Brock. She was sure that on the job he was supposed to be acting professional. "I'm sure she will. I'll go first, if it's all the same to you."

Brock grinned, and took two pokeballs off his belt with a pair of clicks. "Fine by me. Are you ready?"

Marta began to back up off the field, and Green gulped. This was it. Time to go for the gold. "Shroomish, go." Shroomish appeared, and hopped in place a few times, making little chirping noises.

Brock tossed his first pokeball. "Nosepass, go!" The little rock man with the large nose appeared in front of Brock, and tilted its' head around the room for a moment before pointing its' nose at Shroomish.

"Stun spore, Shroomish!" Green commanded, and Shroomish seemed to deflate a bit as it held in a deep breath. It spewed out a cloud of spores at Nosepass, and the rock pokemon didn't dodge out of the cloud quite in time. Its' movements because suddenly much more stiff.

"Nosepass, Rock Throw!" Brock pointed at a likely stone, and Nosepass grabbed it, and managed to hurl the rock with surprising speed. It hit Shroomish on the head, and it staggered back a few steps, looking dazed.

"Shroomish, Absorb!" Shroomish breathed in and concentrated, eyes fixed on Nosepass. There was a noticeable stream of something, energy probably, going from one pokemon to the other. Nosepass looked exhausted, but still stood.

"Nosepass, rock throw!" Brock intoned again, and the Nosepass, still moving slowly like a stop motion film, grabbed another rock and chucked it at Shroomish. It hit straight on, and Shroomish went tumbling back. That rock had hit it pretty hard, and Shroomish didn't look like it wanted to get up right now. Green returned her Shroomish as Brock chuckled. "I do allow rematches, you know."

Green ground her teeth together, and threw out the next pokeball. Charmander came out with a flash of red light, and flashed its' claws.

"Nosepass, rock throw!" Brock said, pointing to a fresh rock. Nosepass was reaching slowly to it, but the stun spores suddenly made it freeze, hand inches from the stone. Green fancied that the frozen Nosepass' eyes flickered to Charmander nervously.

"Charmander, Metal Claw!" Green commanded, and Charmander rushed forward, claws suddenly flashing in the light and sun. As it closed in, Nosepass looked more and more frantic in his reach for the rock. Right when it was just about to touch it, Charmander slashed quickly at the thing once. It slashed through rock easily, and Nosepass fell back with a crash.

Brock returned his Nosepass with a scowl. "Well, This battle isn't over..." even as Brock pulled out his second pokeball, he stopped his speech. Charmander was glowing, and letting out a low "Chaaaaaaar...." that was getting slowly deeper.

Charmeleon finished the evolution process, and brandished its' claws at Brock, who looked impressed. "Well, congratulations! Of course there's still round 2." He threw his next pokeball, and it opened to reveal Onix. It swung its' head to glare at Charmeleon.

"Charmeleon, smokescreen!" Green yelled, pointing at the rock snake's head. Charmeleon spewed a stream of smoke at the Onix, covering the area around its' head in thick black smoke.

"Onix, bind!" Onix swiped its' tail out in a vicious curl, but Charmeleon ducked out of the way.

"Charmeleon, Metal Claw!" Charmeleon sprang on the rock serpent's tail, and from there to the thing's upper back. It slashed viciously with its' claws, sending rock chunks flying.

Brock's Onix went crazy, swinging itself violently to shake Charmeleon off, but the lizard stayed on, gripping with claws that gleamed like a sword. "Onix, smash it against a rock!" Brock commanded, and Onix whipped its' head at a rock viciously.

Charmeleon fell off Onix, and the thing smashed its' head into a stone with an audible crack. It pulled out of the rock slowly, the rock spike atop its' head noticeably chipped. It groaned softly. Charmeleon took a deep breath, and sprayed it in the face with a white hot flame even as Green yelled, "Dragon Rage!"

Onix fell to the ground, and didn't get up. Brock returned it, and when he looked up to Green she was surprised to see him smiling at her. "Wow, I shouldn't have even joked. You made me look positively foolish out there. You've earned the Boulder Badge. Here." Brock flipped Green the badge, which she caught easily. The badge was surprisingly small, and it reminded her of a large collectible pin. She pocketed the thing with a grin.

"Thanks. You weren't so bad, squinty." Green responded with a jovial smile.

Marta ran forward, clapping her hands excitedly as Brock looked a bit sulky. "Oh, congratulations Green! You were brilliant! And Charmeleon, you were great too!" she said to the lizard, scratching its' head. Charmeleon eagerly accepted the praise and scratching, looking pleased with itself.

Green nodded faintly. "Yeah, thanks. But it's your turn now, Marta." she didn't want to make too much of a fuss about her win because she didn't want to stay here long, already thinking that they could probably get to Cerulean City tonight if they hustled.

Marta got up, smiling. "Right! We'll save the celebration for after." She turned to face Brock. "Sir, I hereby issue an official request for battle!" she said swiftly, holding up a pokeball in slightly trembling fingers.

Brock took a pokeball off his belt. "Of course! Say, you wouldn't happen to want to add another condition to this fight, eh?" he asked with a smile.

"What's that?" Marta asked, looking puzzled.

"If I win, I get to take you on a date." Brock said quickly, and Green had an idea that this had been in his mind a while.

Marta blinked, and then suddenly looked completely serious, almost angry. She spoke in a slow, chilling voice. "No, I would not enjoy those terms. My boyfriend wouldn't either."

Brock's smile turned slowly to putty under the heat of Marta's gaze. Green had never seen her so upset. Brock threw out his pokeball, apparently in hopes that a battle now would stop this awkward moment. "Oh. Well, we um, don't have to use those terms. Geodude!" A Geodude appeared, and stretched its' arms wide.

"Chikorita." Marta said somberly, and her loyal leaf pokemon appeared. "Magical Leaf." Chikorita flicked her head at the Geodude, and it fell back under the sudden assault of multicolored leaves, got swept up and crashed into a boulder. It slumped to the ground.

Green and Brock exchanged a glance. Green shrugged in sympathy. Who'd have guessed Marta would get so upset at anything this much? Brock returned his Geodude with a sigh, and sent out his next pokemon, a Sudowoodo.

"Low kick!" Brock said, his voice trying to be forceful but coming out half-hearted. It was obvious that part of him just wanted this to be over.

Sudowoodo lashed out at Chikorita, catching it and sending it sprawling back.

"Magical Leaf!" Marta commanded, and as Chikorita got up it caused another rain of multicolored leaves. This threw Sudowoodo back, and used its' arms to block its' face.

"Mimic, Sudowoodo!" Brock encouraged, and when Sudowoodo moved this time, it fired a volley of multicolored leaves back at Chikorita.

Chikorita looked cut up, but not nearly done yet. "Razor leaf!" Marta yelled, and Chikorta sent out four quick, spinning leaves. They all hit Sudowoodo, and the larger rock pokemon fell with a crash onto its' back.

Marta cheered, and rushed up to Chikorita, but stopped as it began to glow. Chikorita grew larger, and the nubs around its' neck became more pronounced. It stretched as the glow died, leaving Bayleef in the place of Chikorita. Marta hugged it and smiled. "Great job, Bayleef! We won our first gym match!"

Brock looked humbled as he took out another Boulder Badge and tossed it to Marta without a word. His cheeks were red.

Marta caught the badge, looked at it, and then walked up to Brock. She held out her hand, and Brock shook it. "Oh, I'm not angry anymore, Mr. Brock. It's just that in the future maybe gym battles aren't the best place to ask for a date."

Brock nodded, and rubbed the back of his neck as he laughed nervously. "Well, I certainly agree with you there. You both did excellent in your battles. I hope to see both of you another day in the future. If you'd ever like a rematch, let me know. I'm glad be giving you your first badges, your first step to becoming Pokemon Masters."

Green piped up from where she was sitting on a rock as the two let go of each others hand. "Hey, you didn't see a guy with a Wartortle and another guy with an Ivysaur come through here, huh?"

Brock nodded glumly. "I take it all three of you were from Oak. Not that I'd expect any less, he always sends out good students." he smiled warmly at Green, who couldn't help but smile back.

"Well, thanks man. We'll stop in sometime!" Green promised as she went for the exit doors to the gym, waving at Brock as Charmeleon ran behind her, protective as a mother hen.

Marta bowed quickly, and hurried to catch up with her eager companion as she returned Bayleef. "Goodbye!"

Brock just waved until the door to his gym closed. He took the book out of his pocket, titled 'Dating & You,' and crossed out the line 'surprise them shortly after you meet them with a swift and sincere request for a date!'

"Well, that was a failure I think." Brock commented dryly.

"That's for sure!" agreed the man next to the front door.

As Green and Marta left the Gym and began talking happily about their wins, something watched them go, and used a gutter pipe along one edge of the building to get down and follow silently.

Chapter 8-Mt. Moon Blues

It was late that night when they got to the Pokemon Center outside of Mt. Moon. They had battled a handful of trainers on the way, and had given Shroomish, Munchlax and Heracross a chance to try their hand out on the kids. Most of the kids had used Rattattas, Sentrets or Bidoofs mostly, with a few Taillows, Pidgeys and Spearows thrown in to make things interesting. One kid even had a Treecko, which gave Heracross a run for its' money.

Green walked gratefully through the air-conditioned front sliding doors of the Pokemon Center. The place wasn't crowded, but there were a good amount of people sitting around on the ample floor, at least twelve. Most were in groups of two or three, but a couple of solitary people were here too, mostly sitting on the large circular couches that reminded Green on hotel lobby couches. The people on the floor either had sleeping bags, or in the case of two young girls who looked to be sisters, a tent propped into a corner. There was plenty of room in the middle of the room for walking, so they didn't disturb anyone as they walked up to the counter and gave their pokeballs to a smiling Nurse Joy, who assured them their pokemon would be healed post-haste.

Green sighed in relief as she plopped down on the couch, then opened her eyes and scanned the room for a concessions table. She spotted it, a large and low table, being restocked by a happily singing Chansey. Like the Viridian City table, it was covered with fruits, wrapped snack bars and the like, but also sandwiches, water, coffee, juice, and what looked like three covered hot dishes. There was even a number of baskets under the table full of Pokemon food, and Green noticed a Vulpix and an Aron eating from two different baskets under the table. A Tangela wandered up and started eating from a third. Green frowned at this, and turned to Marta. "Say, something bothered me back at Viridian City. Who pays for all the food on the concessions table?"

Marta thought seriously about it. "I'm pretty sure it's from the same place that pays for the Pokemon Centers. The Elite Four Fund."

Green looked bewildered. "Wait, how does that work? The Elite Four pays for everything?"

"No, not just like that. The Elite Four ends up with a lot of money, after all. Every year trainers from all over come and try to face them. They also defeat a lot of trainers. Getting half of a couple trainers' money adds up." Marta observed, eyeing the covered dishes.

Green followed Marta to the table, and got a few sandwiches as Marta got a baked sweet potato from one covered plate, and what looked like baked fish from another. "But, we don't get money from those little trainer battles we do out there. The Elite Four does?"

Marta sat down, and ate a few bites as she smiled at Green with an, 'oh you're so silly' expression on her face. "Of course we do! The pokedex deals with it all."

Green stopped halfway through her sandwich and flipped open her Pokedex. She hadn't even stopped and looked at it, come to think of it. Hardly even opened it since leaving the lab, in fact. After some searching though, she found there was, in fact, a running credit total. She blinked at it. "So... why do some people have paper money then?"

Marta finished her bite of sweet potato before speaking. "Well, people don't always keep all their money in their pokedex account. It's good to have walking around money after all."

Green felt weird as she looked at the total amount. It'd be so easy to cheat the system. Just take all they money out, and fight with no fear of losing cash. At the same time, she wondered if it was breaking some kind of rule. Plus, there didn't seem to be a need to walk around with huge amounts of cash. That was just inviting trouble.

As Green was looking at her pokedex, a man came sauntering up with a salesman's grin on his face, a pokeball in hand. "Excuse me, I just heard you ran into some money, young lady! Well, it just so happens..."

"Get outta here!" Green barked, not wanting to deal with the Magikarp man.

The two continued to eat in silence as the man walked off dejectedly until Green asked, in a low voice, "So, why did you get so upset at Brock anyhow? Do you have a boyfriend?"

Marta hesitated, and from her expression this was the question she was hoping would have been overlooked. She put her plate on her knees. "I don't know if I have a boyfriend now."

Green considered those words, and opened her mouth hesitantly to speak, but Marta kept talking, and this time she said it all in a rush. "Me and Francis were dating for like two years you see and we both decided to go on a Pokemon journey together and so we signed up to get starters but then the day before the starters showed up he said that maybe we should go our separate ways not break up but have a trial separation sort of thing so that when we meet back up absence will have made our feelings stronger."

Green considered these words even longer. She felt deep down that she wasn't built for all this emotional stuff just yet. The hormones were probably there, but the motivation wasn't. Plus, it sounded like this dude wanted his cake and to eat it too, while eating out a couple other cakes as well. Maybe it wasn't fair to jump to such conclusions, but she felt she knew enough about the male mind to know what some 18-year-old was thinking when he suggested a few months time apart, so that he has a piece of ass to come back home to while feeling free to literally walk across the region and not feel bad about hooking up with any poke-slut that walked across his path. What she said was, "Look Marta, I can't tell you what to do with this guy. I do know that you probably shouldn't hold your breath for a guy who wanted to take a life-altering journey across a land full of interesting without you, even though he claims he has feelings for you."

Marta was silent at those words, and the two finished their meals quietly. Green gathered up the dishes, and brought them to a window, where another Chansey took them and began washing them with a happy little song. By the time she wandered back to the couch, Marta was writing in her journal, and her eyes were red.

Green sat down next to Marta, and was silent as the writing went on. A Blissey wandered up with a tray of pokeballs, which Green accepted with a smile. Finally, Marta finished writing, and closed her book. She looked down at Green's offered handful of pokeballs and took them slowly. "Look, Marta, I'm sorry if what I said made you..."

"No, I'm not angry at you." She sniffed. "I'm angry at myself right now. Maybe him a little. Maybe you're right, after all. If he didn't even want to come n this journey with me, what does that make him? It means he doesn't wanna share this with me, and that's not right."

Green nodded slowly. This was getting a bit more personal than she wanted to deal with. She got up and walked to the concessions table, coming back with three cups and a container of what looked to be orange juice. Pouring three glasses half full, she filled them the rest of the way with the remainder of her bottle. She released Munchlax, who accepted his cup gratefully as he sat down and drank heavily.

Marta hesitated when Green offered one. "I don't know... I just,"

Green shook her head and offered it again more forcefully. "No, we're gonna drink and forget about what's-his-face tonight. Marta, you got your first gym badge today! Let's live a little bit, what do you say?"

Marta accepted her glass this time, hesitating for a long moment before tasting it slowly. She smacked her lips a bit, then drank deeper. "It's not too bad I suppose."

Green beamed, and started on her drink as well. After the first round, Green stopped by the PC in the corner to pick up a couple bottles, and made another round as things quieted down in the main room.

The drinks were a lot stronger than last time, and halfway through the round Marta put her cup down slowly and steadily, with the slow preciseness of someone a bit sloshed. "I'll be right back Green. I've gotta go use the ladiesh' room."

Green laid her head back as Marta left. Things were peaceful in the main room as people slowly began drifting off to sleep. When someone sat down next to Green she thought it was Marta, but instead she saw a girl closer to her own age with purple hair cut short and loose fitting black clothes. Green admired the hair for a moment, close-cut but still long enough to make sure the viewer knew knew she was female.

The new girl crossed her legs and smiled at Green. "Sorry if I'm interrupting. I saw the two of you having a good time, so I decided to join. Do you mind?" Green shook her head, and smiled as she poured her a drink. The new girl took it gratefully. "Thanks. I'm Janine, by the way."

Green searched her mind. The name was so damn familiar. Try as she might, she couldn't connect it with anything however.

"Thanks. I don't drink much, but being my age you get it when you can." She grinned at her joke, and drank from her cup again.

"Green's my name. I just get my friend to buy it for me." she didn't feel like this was the best small talk, but mentally dismissed the concerns. Janine seemed happy enough as she drank her first drink in silence, and handed Green her cup with a smile. Green filled hers up, and Janine took it graciously. Green estimated the girl to be around 15.

"Well, thank you. It really takes the edge off." Janine looked around. "Hey, would you like to come have a smoke with me?" she asked Green, flashing her teeth in a smile.

Green considered for a few moments, and nodded. She reached into her bag, pulled out a small notepad, and scribbled a note about stepping out for a few moments. Bringing the rest of the bottle, the two left the building.

Once outside, Janine brought them around to the back of the Pokemon Center, and up a rocky outcrop so they could easily leap to the roof. Once there, the two sat against the rim of the roof, and Janine pulled two cigars out of the front of her shirt. She also produced a lighter, and lit hers before passing it off to Green.

Green had never smoked a cigar, but Rudolph had a few times in his years. Though the first few puffs made her mouth dry up, it didn't make her gag. Once the thing had a good cherry going, Green turned to Janine. "So. What made you walk up to me in there anyhow?"

Janine studied the end of her cigar as she took the bottle from Green's fingers and drank from it slowly. "You were the only person who looked interesting in the place."

"And the only one with alcohol?" Green asked sarcastically.

Janine giggled. Green noticed she had a nice laugh, and as she took a drink noticed she had a nice body too. Underneath those loose black clothes was a taut and slim young girl, with nice breasts. "Well, it didn't hurt that you had this. I was talking about you being an interesting trainer." Janine grinned at Green. "I've been following you since Pewter City and you're pretty good. Your friend's alright, but you can tell her inspiration comes from you."

Green wanted to be flattered, but one point stood out in the story. "Wait, what do you mean you've been following us since Pewter?!"

Janine held up her hands defensively, the cigar held between two fingers. "Now hold on. I was there to battle Brock, same as you. When I saw the guy before me win, he told Brock he had to get stronger to bear her." Janine took a puff and looked back to the sky. "I was curious who 'her' was."

Green thought about this for a minute. "Kid with a Wartortle?"

Janine nodded. "That's the one. Intense guy. Never smiled once. Seemed like he has quite a grudge against you."

Green snorted. "Fuck him, he's small potatoes."

Janine laughed, and passed Green the bottle, who took a long pull. Green sat looking at her cigar a moment before Janine spoke up. "I stole them from my old man."

Green turned her head to look at Janine, who was smiling back. "From your dad? Won't he notice? And why cigars, you don't really seem like the cigar type? The drinking I can write off. Everyone drinks."

Janine shook her head. "I doubt it, he hardly ever has a cigar anymore. They were a gift from an old friend of his." She puffed the thing a few times appreciatively. "I kind of started smoking them at first because he didn't want me to so much, but then I just kinda kept doing it because they were good cigars and someone should. My dad never has a cigar anymore. They're in an old box he got as a gift from a friend of his. He wouldn't notice if half the box went missing."

"But even if he would notice you wouldn't care, huh?" Green asked seriously.

"That's right." Janine scowled. "You know, my dad says I'm not good enough to follow in his footsteps. He's always been saying that because I'm not a boy. I'm gonna show him though. My aunt Aya is a lot worse at battling than me, but he still won't even consider me as a successor. That's why I'm trying to complete the league challenge."

Green smoked her cigar slowly. Once the bottle was done and the cigars were nearing the bottom, the two of them pitched the stubs into the darkness of the rooftop. Janine got up and stretched, popping her back audibly. "Well, I guess we'd better go back to your friend."

Green smiled up at Janine. "I think your dad was crazy for not seeing something special in you." she got up and dusted off her pants.

The black-clad girl blushed, and smiled as she looked away. "That's very kind of you for saying."

Green got up, the alcohol spurring her to a speech. "Seriously, if he's thinking of not considering you just because you're a girl, then screw him. You sound like you're determined, and " Green thought the whole speech was a bit bullshit, because after all she'd never even seen Janine battle. The name didn't even ring a bell in her mind, but it did make her think of the Safari Zone for some strange reason. Green also hoped Janine didn't catch the comment about 'this place.'

The two of them went to the edge of the roof to leave, when a sudden noise from the mountain caught both of their attention. It sounded like a dull explosion, but one silenced by a lot of earth. From the mountain there was a flash of brilliant light, and they could see and hear rock pieces showering into the forest. It was over with so suddenly that Green doubted for a moment it even happened, though the rock dust floating in the air all around the mountain like a cloud put to rest any doubts.

"Um, some Team Rocket guy said there would be something happening at the mountain." Green said in a surprisingly casual tone.

With a look, both girls rushed down to the ground, climbing swiftly over the rocky cliff side along the building. When they reached the ground they rushed inside, each running for their packs. All around the room there were people who were either going back to bed, looking around for the source of the noise, or getting dressed and packing their things.

Green reached her pack and saw Marta, who was thankfully awake and petting her Bayleef as Munchlax snoozed next to her. She looked up as Green neared, and smiled. "Oh, hey! What's wrong? That sound scare you too? It scared Bayleef, didn't it?"

Green shook her head wildly. "No, no, we need to go. I have a bad feeling. Remember what that Team Rocket guy said?"

Marta smiled at her in a confused sort of way. "No."

Green stared back. Marta was swaying a bit on the spot, and looked happy. Dammit. "Look, Team Rocket just set off a bomb or something, and we're gonna go into Mt. Moon tonight it looks like. We need to go! It may be important!"

Marta focused at once, or more accurately got serious if not sober. "Oh. I'll get ready right away then." Marta tried to pull herself together, packing things away with a slow deliberate hand that made Green regret giving her so much alcohol. At least Munchlax had finished off most of her second drink, so there was at least that.

Janine walked up to the pair of them, the pack slung across her back secured with two straps so it wouldn't move around much and interfere with movement. Something about her really nagged at something in Green, but it still turned up just the confusing image of the Safari Zone. "Excuse me, but are you two ready to go? We should probably get going quick if we want to see what happened."

Green nodded, and walked to the concessions bar to get more sandwiches for the road. She came back and offered one to Marta, who accepted gratefully. "Thanks, Green!"

"Green?" came a voice from across the room. In one of the tents, next to what she had assumed was part of a larger group, Red poked his head out. He had hair sticking up everywhere, as if he'd just woken up. "Hey, Green! Good to see you! What's been going on?"

Green silently cursed. He hated Red's perky attitude. "Hey, Red. Explosion at the mountain."

Red got up, ramming his hat on his head. "Oh no! Are the Pokemon in danger?"

"Probably."

"Oh no!"

Green sighed at Red's earnest expression. There was no way he could turn down Red, especially because he could be useful. "Fine, let's just go."

Red grinned and packed his things up as fast as he could.

While they waited, Green went up to Nurse Joy and explained what she thought was happening, and saying that if she wanted to call the authorities it may be the thing to do in this case. By the time she had gotten back to the group, everyone was ready to go. Everyone followed Green as she left the Pokemon Center and began walking up to the mountain. A soft rain of dust was still falling all about, but as they entered through the cave mouth, the air got clear and unmoving. There were noises deep in the cave, like indistinct voices mixed with the twanging of water drops.

"Koffing, go!" Janine let a pokeball go, letting loose the floating purple ball. "Flash!" It turned white, and emitted a soft, constant glow that lit the way ahead well. "Let's go. If you're right this could be terrible."

They all headed off into the mountain. There was a noticeable lack of pokemon in the place as they went deeper into the cave, but the sound of voices got louder. Suddenly, the voices stopped, and there was an eerie silence in the halls, save for the sound of feet clattering on stone. Then, a noise like something industrial starting up, and an ear-splitting sound like something trying to bore through stone filled the halls, forcing everyone to stop and clap their hands over their ears. There was a rush overhead, and Green looked up to see Zubats, soaring past towards the exit. The sound must have been confusing them, because they were crashing into each other and the walls in their haste to escape.

One Zubat, battered and hit by all his fellows, fell towards the ground after it crashed head-first into . Green hit it with a pokeball, feeling bad for taking advantage of the situation, but also figuring it was better than letting it crash into the ground. The noise eventually died away, and the sound of the Zubat's screeches died away after a moment. The sound of indistinct voices started up again, and they were close enough now to at least recognize them as being argumentative voices. The four of them continued down the corridor, Green scooping up the pokeball containing her Zubat as she ran.

The next winding corridor opened onto light , and a large hole to the outside of the mountain. It looked like something crashed through the outside of the mountain and crashed inwards, leaving a swath of destruction in its' wake. There were Team Rocket members all over the place, standing around a huge machine with a steaming drill on one end. They all wore masks that covered their mouths, but this seemed to be for the dust floating around more than for a desire to hide their identities. Some wore the hats Green recognized as being the hats Team Rocket wore in the game, and others simply let their hair out. The voices were coming from two Rocket members, each with a gas mask-like device over their faces, yelling and pointing at the drill. Green didn't understand much, but there seemed to be an issue with the drill overheating, and one of the two didn't care about an overheating drill, only about getting into the room past the rock wall. It looked like jumping down would be impossible, because while their corridor looked out upon this scene, it looked upon it from a 30-foot drop.

"Hmm. This isn't very good." Green commented. She looked back to her companions. "Well, we have two choices. We can go down there, or..."

There was a sound like, "Muuuurk!" and there was a voice from below. "Hey, Murkrow sees some people up there! You guys, go after them!"

"Dammit," Green muttered, backing up from the entrance. "Well, alright then. Let's go."

The four of them turned and ran down the corridor, finding a side tunnel they passed earlier and trying a few tunnels in frustrating silence before entering a large, stalagmite-filled room that had a soft orange glow at the opposite end. Before they could go far into the room, the sound of the drill went screaming through the corridors again. This time no Zubats went by, but a Geodude who had been unseen by the door uprooted itself, and rolled away with a pained look on its' face. Eventually the sound died, and a man in a rocket hat poked his head around the corner. "Here they are! Four kids!"

The man came into the room with two other rocket members. These guys all wore the hats and masks across the eyes, and looked for all the world like The Beagle Boys from Ducktails to Rudolph, deep inside Green. This made her giggle, and all three of the Rockets turned to glare at her. "What's so funny? We're gonna crush you little brats and take your Pokemon!"

"Right. Isn't there also more of us?" Green asked casually. "And we do possess large monsters intended for fighting, if you forgot."

The men considered those words as Green threw out a pokeball, releasing Charmeleon. Janine and Red threw out pokeballs as well, releasing a Skorupi and a Pikachu respectively. Green looked to Red with an exasperated look. "Really?" Marta released her Bayleef a few moments later, and took a moment to sit down. Green passed her a water bottle and patted her on the shoulder.

The three Rockets threw out pokeballs as well, releasing a Grimer, Ekans, Croagunk and Poochyena. One of the rockets, who had sent out two pokemon, glared at the others. "I'm the only one with two?!"

"Pikachu, thundershock!" Red sheered, and the rat surged a line of electricity at the Croagunk, making it spasm.

"Skorupi, acupressure Charmeleon!" Janine pointed, and Skorupi whipped its' tail around to stab Charmeleon in the back. Green nearly cried out in alarm, until she realize it had broke the skin, but so minorly a drop of blood didn't even leave the wound. Charmeleon didn't seem to notice, but suddenly his snarls became more intense, as if he'd been injected with adrenaline.

"Charmeleon, Fire Fang!" Green commanded, and Charmeleon zoomed at the just-recovering Croagunk, and put it down with a chomp full of billowing orange flames.

The Grimer and Ekans backed away from the Charmeleon, but the Poocheyena snarled and leapt forward. "Yeah, bite 'em, boy!" one of the rockets encouraged.

Bayleef took the thing out of the air with a flying tackle. Charmeleon turned around to see Bayleef at his back, and smirked.

Green sighed. "Look, not that I don't love these fights but these guys are criminals! Let's just mop up!" She threw out the rest of her Pokemon, and Green's Beedrill, Munchlax, Shroomish, Zubat and Caterpie appeared. "Do whatever moves you guys want at those two pokemon!" Green said, pointing at Ekans and Grimer, who looked very nervous. The five pokemon turned, and bumrushed the other two. Even Caterpie got in closer and reared up to spray sticky stuff at the Ekans as it tried to get away. It was enough to bring a tear to Green's eye.

The Rockets returned their pokemon. "Damn, this isn't good." One said, backing towards the door. "Let's just get the boss!" They all exited out the far side of the room without looking back.

Everyone else looked at Green, who returned all of the pokemon in rapid succession. She looked up and scowled. "Well, it's true. We don't need to waste time on the scrubs. Let's just go."

Following the footsteps and voices, they finally entered the drill room properly. The way that black smoke was rising from the drill, Green guessed it had overheated. All available rocket members were under a large stone overhang where they were apparently safe from what the rest were doing. Suddenly they too ran, and Green could clearly see three Electrodes. They were all flashing violently. She turned to everyone else. "Back down the hall!"

They all made it a few steps before the explosion knocked them to the ground. It didn't quite shake the place like earlier, and the sounds died away in a few seconds, but as they all got up there was a constant rain of dust all around them that turned the room into a choking mess. Green took a shirt from her bag and tied it over her mouth, if only to cut down on dust entering her lungs. Janine simply pulled part of her overlarge shirt's collar over her face, and Green realized as it stayed there like a mask that Janine's shirt was designed to be pulled up that way. Janine looked vaguely sinister this way, the only thing of color showing being her purple hair and wooden shoes. Red and Marta were following Green's example and tying clothes over their mouths.

"Those jerks!" Red said as he got up off the ground, a sweatshirt tied over the lower half of his face. "We need to stop them!" he rushed past Green, an intense expression on his face as he ran right into the the next room. Green mumbled something about idiots, and followed Red down the hall at a run, her two companions on her heels.

Green entered the large room again, and saw a man in a suit being brushed down by two rocket grunts standing out prominently in the middle of the room. A Persian brushed itself against his leg and looked at the other trainers with feline uncaring before going in for more head scratching. The man smiled at Red, and to the rest of the girls in turn. "Ah, the pests. I'm afraid you're too late. We've already blown a path down to the pokemon slumbering up under the mountain. The Zubats and Clefairies were a nice touch..." he motioned a hand to a hopper being loaded full of pokeballs by a couple more rocket grunts and went on. "A couple of new members for my organization would be better though. What do you say? I hear from my associates here how they were positively embarrassed by you four. I would enjoy more competent trainers." he smiled, even as the grunts packing the balls into the hopper paused and glared at their bosses' back.

"We'd never join an organization of criminals like you!" Red shot back at once. He went on, "Anyone who hurts pokemon for their own gains and steals doesn't understand what it means to be a trainer!"

Green rolled her eyes. The man in the suit seemed to catch the movement, and said softly, "You know, the offer will of course be open to you young lady. I've heard of you, believe it or not. Quite the hellfire they say."

Green looked surprised, and glanced up at the man in the suit. He smiled slowly as he pet his Persian gently. Green was about to speak when, from the hole at the side of the mountain, there came the faint noise of sirens. The man scowled. "Damn!" he glanced to one of the grunts brushing him. "Stop these children and help the others down below. I must attend to business."

The grunt saluted, and both grunts got up quickly as they extracted pokeballs from pockets. The man in the suit was already releasing a Claydol as he returned his Persian. He didn't look back as he placed a hand on its' side. The thing teleported away, bringing the man with it.

"You kids are in for a pounding." the first rocket grunt said with a grin. "We're not like those pansies you battled earlier!" He threw out his pokeball, releasing a Golbat.

Green began to take out a pokeball, but Red shook his head at her. "No, you need to save the pokemon they're trying to capture! I'll beat these guys and rescue those others pokemon they captured. They're just gonna sell them if they get away with this." Red threw out a pokeball, and Pikachu came out with a hiss.

The second rocket grunt threw out a pokeball of his own, revealing a Graveler. Red began to pull out his second pokeball when Marta sent out Bayleef.

Marta smiled at Green. "I don't think I'll be much help if I have to jump down a lot." she said in a weak little voice.

Green felt horrible. "I'm sorry for... helping you forget and stuff." she mumbled, feeling like it was a stupid apology in the circumstance. Marta looked pale, and about to puke.

Marta took a deep breath. "At least it worked, right?" she smiled, and turned back to the battle, which had already been joined between Pikachu and Golbat. Graveler started at Pikachu, but Bayleef suddenly shot out a vine whip, restraining the thing.

Green glanced to Janine, who nodded back. The two dashed for the hole in the corner of the room, where a blackened ring outlined a quickly darkening rock slope. Green reached it first, and started carefully down the rocks, choosing footholds carefully. Janine came down past her, easily hopping from rock to rock as Koffing floated along behind, glowing softly to illuminate the darkness. Green grumbled and tried to speed up.

Once they both reached the bottom, they could see that this room has strange, bump-like markings all over the wall. They seemed to start from the left of the room, which had a mural of three statue-like figures, and went all the way to the right of the room, which faded into blackness. There were faint noises down that corridor, however, and Green thought she could hear battling noises.

Janine looked the mural up and down in fascination. "Wow, this is amazing! Look at these paintings, they must be hundreds of..."

"Look, we can talk about this in a bit! Come on!" Green said as she ran off down the passage. The sounds of fighting were coming more and more in focus, and as Green turned the corner, she saw a large, domed cavern. There was indeed a battle going on, between three Team Rocket members, and what was undoubtedly a Regirock. It was fighting an Arbok, a Seviper, and a Drowzee, and the triple assault was making the thing groan like a rock slide. Drowzee was constantly humming, and channeling what looked like soundwaves into Regirock. It was making Regirock slow and woozy, and the huge punches it threw at the two huge snakes were easily dodged. Regirock was getting pummeled by the two snakes, even though it looked as if they were mostly chipping at it.

"Charmeleon, go!" Green yelled, releasing the lizard with a quick throw. "Fire fang that Arbok!" Charmeleon appeared in a rush of red light, and it pounded into the room, past one of the Rocket members with a shock of white hair and leapt at Arbok, snarling. Arbok looked up in panic as Charmeleon bore down on it, biting into its' side with a mouth full of fire.

"Dammit, we have company!" the rocket member with the white hair shouted, pulling out a pokeball. "Go, Mightyena!" he called, throwing the pokeball so it landed between the battle against Regirock. The large dog pokemon appeared, snarling at Green menacingly.

Janine rounded the corner, and threw a pokeball out. "Nidorina!" it appeared between Green and Mightyena, growling at the larger dog. They leapt at each other and began rolling on the ground, biting at each other.

The other two rocket members, one a girl with blue hair and the other a muscular guy with long blond hair, looked over and scowled at the further interruption. The girl flipped hair out of her face. "Gutman! We need to deal with those damn kids!" she yeled at the muscular guy, who looked annoyed at being treated like an idiot.

"I know that Cairo! Dammit!" Yelled the large man as he whipped out a pokeball along with the girl. "Makuhita!"

"Sneasel!" The girl aparrently named Cairo said gleefully.

The two Rocket pokemon appeared in front of Green, who frowned. She pulled out another pokeball to send out Munchlax, while Janine threw out her Skorupi. The Pokemon began scrapping, but while Munchlax and Skorupi were holding their own against the other unevolved pokemon, Nidorina was being outclassed a bit by Mightyena. With a bite, it champed down heavily on Nidorina's left side. Nidorina squealed in pain, and Green hurled out Shroomish desperately. "Shroomish, help Nidorina!"

Leaving the battle behind as the other pokemon kept busy, Green rushed up into the room to check on Charmeleon. It looked hurt, and while it looked hurt, so did the two snakes he was fighting against. Regirock also seemed to realize that Charmeleon was on his side, because even as she watched, Regirock stopped short of hitting Charmeleon, preferring to wait for a blow at Seviper, who still dodged the clumsy drowsy pokemon. Green pulled out the pokeball for Beedrill, her last dependable pokemon here. "Beedrill, go! Twinneedle that Drowzee!" Beedrill appeared and zoomed across the clearing at Drowzee, who was so engrossed in keeping the Regirock tired that it didn't even look up as Beedrill rammed right into it.

The moment the Regirock had full control of its' actions, it snarled in rage and swung a fist at Seviper. Seviper was caught off guard, and went crashing across the room. Regirock then picked up a rock, and threw it at the prone snake, who jerked under the blow. Cairo returned her pokemon with a grunt.

"Arbok, Glare!" Gutman commanded, and Arbok stared at Regirock with sharp, piercing eyes. Regirock paused inches from it, staring back at it with its' strange multiple eyes. The two stayed motionless, glaring at each other. Charmander leapt at Arbok then, bringing it down with a white stream of flame. Gutman roared in anger. "Cook, I think we're done for!"

The rocket with the white hair scowled. "Fine..." he threw another pokeball. "Horsea! Smokescreen!" Green barely saw the little blue pokemon for only a second before smoke filled the small contained space. There were the sounds of footsteps in the dark, and Green felt someone shove past her.

"Zubat, try to blow this away!" Green coughed out, releasing the bat, who flapped as hard as it could. It seemed to only be moving the smoke around for new smoke at first, but soon the air began to clear, and Green could make out the form of Zubat beating its' wings. There enemies and their pokemon had disappeared, leaving only their own pokemon and the Regirock, who was still glaring at the place Arbok had been. There was a few minutes silence as Green considered the thing, then realized it was staying still because Arbok had used glare. It was paralyzed!

Green slowly reached into her bag and pulled out a Dusk Ball. As Janine and Charmeleon watched, she casually tossed the ball at the thing. It bounced off its' head, and the Regirock got sucked into the ball. It shook a few moments before the light dimmed.

Janine looked a bit angry. "Wha... you captured it!"

Green looked surprised as the ball disappeared, and looked Janine in the eye. "Yeah, so?"

Janine frowned. "Well, we did just save it you know."

Green shrugged. "Look, Team Rocket knows where it was now. Do you think if they tried this hard they wouldn't try again to get it?"

Janine frowned, and pondered it. "Well... you do have a point there. Fine, I see your point."

"Hey, is there anyone down there?!" a voice yelled down the hole, barely audible down the passage.

"Yeah! We're coming out!" Green yelled back, and began to walk back down the corridor. She looked to Janine. "By the way, you were a lifesaver back there. I'm glad I had you backing me up." she said, peeling off her makeshift facemask.

Janine blushed in the limited light as she pulled down her mask. "Thank you. You were the amazing one though. You're very confident in battle."

Green smiled back as they reached the rock slide. Up above, men with lights on their helmets looked down into the hole. They had the look of officials. "You two ok?!" the man up top yelled down.

"Fine. We're coming right up!" Green yelled up as they scrambled up the rocks.

Once up in the large room, Green could see the room had at least ten people in official looking police outfits, lights pinned to hats in the dark. The drill machine still sat in the middle of the room, and two rocket grunts were now handcuffed next to the hopper of pokeballs, but the three rocket members assaulting Regirock were gone. Red was talking to one of the officers very excitedly, while Marta sat on the ground nearby, dozing against a rock with the blanket around her shoulders.

"Thankfully you trainers were nearby." said a familiar voice, and Green turned to see Officer Jenny. Green smiled as the officer walked up to the two of them. "What was Team Rocket after anyhow?"

Green shrugged. "Beats me. Some ruins are down there, maybe whatever it was is in there."

Jenny nodded to two officers, who nodded back and started down the hole. "Well, I have to thank you for your help. I've arranged a guide that will bring you kids the swiftest way to Cerulean City. There, I've arranged for some nice rooms at the local motel. We can't thank you enough for saving the Pokemon here."

The two of them walked towards Red, who looked excited. "Green! We did it! We held them off! We saved the pokemon!"

Green smiled at Red as she sat down heavily on the ground next to Marta. Janine plopped down on Green's other side, looking just as weary. Green leaned her head against Janine's shoulder with a sigh, and even as she told herself she should wait for the guide, she fell herself falling into a slow sleep.


	3. Act 3, Chapters 9 to 12

Act 3

Chapter 9-Training

Green slowly awoke, and instead of the caverns of Mt. Moon, she instead saw the walls of a nicely furnished hotel room. She had been laid down on top of the covers, with a thin blanket thrown over her fully clothed form. Charmeleon was sleeping next to her on the floor, flaming tail careful as always not to touch anything as it swished back and forth. She got slowly out of bed and looked around the room. It was small, but in the closet there was another washer/dryer, and another door led into a bathroom with a shower. With a sigh of relief she stripped, shoved the clothes in for a wash, and slumped into the steaming hot water. She sighed, and methodically washed her hair with a whole tiny bottle of shampoo to get out as much rock dust as possible. After a good long soak, she felt like she had woken up a second time.

She took her time getting dressed in the semi-light of dawn, leaving the pants off for the time being. The view overlooked what must have been Cerulean City, because she could clearly see a bridge spanning over a body of water in one direction, and a large building with high windows that must have been the Gym. Unlike the other two Gyms, this one was quite obviously brightly lit even from here. The front doors were open to the streets as well, and people were clearly strolling in and out as they pleased.

Green opened her pouch, a bit timidly. Thankfully the second bottle of vodka was uncracked, and she poured herself a mixed drink with a can of fruit cocktail in a bowl, making what she figured was like a power breakfast.

Having a buzz on and with her stomach full, Green finally pulled on some pants and grabbed her pouch. "Charmeleon, let's go! I wanna go for a walk around town!" she said jovially, opening the door for Charmeleon as she left. The two left the hotel, not seeing anyone else from the group the night before.

As she got breakfast Green flipped open her pokedex, and flipped to the entry on Regirock. Sure enough, there it was, amidst blank entries as far as the eye could see. That was unexpected. Part of her figured she hadn't really captured it, or that something would keep her from owning the pokemon in some way. True, she didn't have the pokemon with her yet, it was in storage, but she as good as had it.

Even as she was deciding to walk down to the pokemon center, the open Gym doors made her veer in their direction. She decided to just go in and scope out the competition for a few minutes before she headed back to wait for everyone else to awaken.

Going inside, Green could see why people were filing inside and outside all the time. This place was a Gym, but it also looked part arena of sorts. Seats lined the left and right walls, and people were filling out the stands slowly. In the large center pool, which had large pads floating on top of the water supposedly to help Pokemon keep their footing here, there was a young girl with blue hair putting a Seaking and two Goldeens through a series of jumps and tricks.

"Hey loser, I knew I'd find you here. They say this is a real chick gym. Figured it would call to you even though you've given the whole 'girl' thing up." said an all-too familiar voice behind Green, nearly overflowing with self-confidence.

Green turned around. "Screw you, Blue. If you want a rematch, just say so." she said, trying to sound casual as she faced her smirking rival. In truth, she was a bit alarmed to see Blue here. She didn't even have her new trump card with her, and she wasn't sure if her pokemon were technically in tip-top shape after last night. She got a hold of herself, however. Charmeleon looked bright and alert as it watched Blue's movements, and she smiled down at it. So far Charmeleon had been a veritable juggernaut. Perhaps it would help squeeze out another win. "You got a place?"

Blue laughed, and cocked his head towards the door. "There's a field behind the Gym. I checked." he left without another word, dodging nimbly out of the way of passers-by.

Green turned and looked longingly into the gym. Three girls were standing op a high diving board, speaking indistinctly to the crowd who cheered in response. She had just been about to take a stab at the competition. She followed after Blue dejectedly.

The two of them wound up at the field, which was bare and also devoid of people. Blue walked casually to one end, taking out a pokeball as he did so. "So. Why don't we double it up this time? 4-on-4, how about that? You DO have four pokemon now, right?"

Green ground her teeth. This guy annoyed her, even if he was there just TO annoy her. "Yes, as a matter of fact. Let's just do this." Green pulled out a pokeball, and began turning it in her hands slowly, eagerly.

Blue extracted a pokeball as well, and tossed it casually. "Staravia." The red light coalesced into the bird pokemon, who hovered in mid-air looking much more menacing than its' pre-evolution.

"Munchlax!" Green yelled as the fat little pokemon appeared, looking around excitedly for what Green figured was his morning drink. "Hey, time to battle! Don't crap out on me now!" Munchlax looked surprised, then serious as it eyed up the bird. "Screech!" Munchlax sucked in a breath, and bellowed such an intense, high-pitched noise at the Staravia that it nearly knocked it out the air.

"Wing attack!" Blue commanded, and the Staravia whipped down at Munchlax, bashing it with a wing and knocking it off its' feet. The thing whipped around and came back, obviously intent for another round.

Munchlax got up slowly and glared at the Staravia. It tensed itself, and sprang at the bird as it came in for a second pass. The two collided in mid-air, and Staravia hit the ground even as Munchlax landed on his feet, smug as could be..

"Quick attack!" Staravia suddenly pulled itself upright, and blurred as it moved faster than the eye could see. Munchlax was assaulted by the bird as it blurred by, smacking the fat pokemon with blow after blow.

Green got ready to give an order, but Munchlax suddenly tensed, and jumped in the air. Green saw a blur that was Staravia waver for a moment, and once Munchlax hit the ground, it sprang at the momentarily slowed Staravia, and took it down with another mid-air collision. It looked pleased with itself as it got off Staravia, and this time the bird Pokemon didn't move.

Blue grinned as he returned Staravia. "I didn't expect to beat that Munchlax right away. It's a tough little thing. Larvitar." he said as he released the rock pokemon, who glared at Munchlax. "Sandstorm." A cloud of stinging sand sprang up around the little thing, and Munchlax held up an arm to shield its' eyes from the stinging sand.

"Screech, Munchlax!" Green said over the whipping of the localized sandstorm, and Munchlax's piercing wail actually slowed the sandstorm for a moment as Larvitar clapped its' hands over its ears.

"Rock Slide, Larvitar!" Blue ordered. Larvitar clapped both hands on the ground, and rocks burst from the ground to make what looked like a wave of earth. Munchlax was caught in the updraft, and swept along until it crashed into the ground near Green's feet. Munchlax didn't get up, so Green returned it with a frown.

Charmeleon looked ready to fight, but Green held a hand in front of it. "Not yet." Green said through her clenched teeth. She pulled out another pokeball, and wordlessly let Shroomish out and into the sandstorm. The little thing closed its' eyes in the stinging sand, and made a little mewling noise.

"Rock Slide!" Blue ordered again, and the Larvitar pounded the ground again. the slide of rocks barely missed Shroomish, who ran away in alarm.

"Leech seed!" Green suggested, and Shroomish stopped running for a moment to flip a large seed at the Larvitar. It hit the thing on the chest, and it sprouted at once into long, spindly roots shot out to cover the little pokemon. A thin line of green energy noticeably flowed from Larvitar to Shroomish, barely visible through the whipping sands.

"Thrash!" Larvitar jumped at the word, and brought Shroomish down with flailing punches and kicks. It continued to hit the mushroom pokemon repeatedly, but it began to slow down, and unexpectedly fell backwards and began snoring. Blue frowned in confusion.

"Ha! Effect spore! Shroomish, mega drain!" Green said gleefully, and Shroomish sat up as the green stream suddenly became a torrent. The sleeping Larvitar, seed pulsating eerily on its' chest, moaned.

Blue returned his second pokemon with a sneer. "Fine. It's time I show you my new pokemon anyhow. Scyther!" he said with a grin as he released the flying mantis. It hovered there in mid-air, brandishing its' two bladed arms at Shroomish menacingly. "Wing attack!" The bug whipped towards the smaller pokemon, and before Green could react Shroomish was flying back as Scyther smashed it with a glowing set of wings.

Green blanched a bit as she returned the unmoving Shroomish. That wasn't good. If she had Regirock she knew it would just be a single attack to defeat this bug, but now she was down to two pokemon, and while she wanted to save Charmeleon until the end, it would certainly do more damage here than against Wartortle. "Let's go Charmeleon." It grunted and moved slowly into the arena, eyeing the flying bug warily.

"Quick attack!" Blue commanded at once, and Scyther lunged at once to deliver a series of lightning-quick slashes and cuts. Charmeleon roared in pain.

"Fire fang!" Charmeleon opened his flaming mouth and lunged, grabbing Scyther as it tried to make another pass. The Scyther let out a loud cry of pain, and had to slash viciously at Charmeleon's nose to get it to let go.

"Vacuum Wave!" Scyther turned on the spot, and with both blades slashed viciously downwards, sending out a wave of nearly invisible energy. It hit Charmeleon and cut a gash across its' midsection, making it roar in pain.

"Dragon rage!" Green yelled in annoyance, mostly directed at the Scyther. It was a lot tougher than she had been expecting. Charmeleon concentrated for a moment, and hit his opponent with a white-hot stream of fire that drove Scyther out of the air and to the ground.

Scyther was returned with a flip of the hand by Blue. He smiled. "You never battled Squirtle, did you? Well, I suppose you technically never will." He threw out his fourth pokeball with a casual hand, letting out an incredibly confident Wartortle.

"Dragon rage!" Green commanded again, wanting to put as much hurt on Wartortle as quick as possible. Charmeleon spewed out another stream of white hot fire, and the smirk quickly fell of Wartortle's face as the flame whipped across its' chest.

"Water pulse." Blue said nonchalantly. Wartortle held out its' hands, forming a ball of swirling water that it send spinning at Charmelon with a flick of the tail. It bounced off the ground once, staying intact as it hit a recovering Charmeleon head-on. It must have been like getting hit with a fist made of water, and it actually lifted the lizard off the ground and carried it a foot before it went crashing to the ground. "And then there was one."

Green returned Charmeleon with a scowl. This whole damn battle was annoying, but at least she was ahead of the game. "Beedrill!"

The two pokemon squared up for a moment, and Green heard a cheer that made her look around. There was a fair sized crowd of about twenty people all around, and Green had a moment to wonder how she had missed these people coming up to watch. She had a bit of a tendency to get absorbed in these matches.

"Fury Attack!" shouted Green just as Blue yelled "Rock Tomb!" Beedrill zoomed in, spikes glinting as it closed the distance. Wartortle just stood there for a moment, and Green was sure Beedrill would attack first. Wartortle slammed its' hands on the ground however, and a pillar of rock shot up under Beedrill, knocking it out of the air with a thud. Beedrill got slowly up off the ground, and its' wings came weakly back to life, lifting itself slowly off the ground.

"Twinneedle!" Green encouraged, feeling worried as Beedrill closed the distance. It jabbed twice with vicious pokes, but the Wartortle only glared furiously back.

"Water pule." Wartortle needed no more encouragement to summon another ball of water, and using it smashed Beedrill away. Beedrill hit the ground once after a brief flight through the air, and collapsed into a vaguely buzzing wet lump. Blue smiled down at Wartortle, who looked quite pleased with itself as it gazed admiringly up as its' trainer. "Good job, Wartortle." he returned the pokemon amongst cheers from the crowd that had gathered, and smirked to Green. "Well. I suppose next time we'll both have six. Maybe you should go train a bit. You don't want to embarrass yourself in the Gym, do you?"

Green glared at Blue as she returned her Beedrill. "Next time you just better have six pokemon ready then." Green promised as she turned and marched away. Some of the people tried to soothe her with words, but she pushed past them all and headed for the Pokemon Center, even as she heard the rest of the She was angry. Furious, really. She had lost, but only because that... asshole had just snuck up out of nowhere! There had to be some sort of rule against challenging people in gyms. Well, besides the leaders obviously.

Pushing through the open front doors of the Pokemon Center, Green wordlessly handed over her pokeballs once she reached the front counter. She walked up to the concessions table, grabbing two sandwiches, a rice ball and a drink before sitting down. She'd lost for the first time. She slowly ate the first sandwich, which turned out to be peanut butter and jelly, as she thought dully of how weird it was to have rice balls alongside sandwiches. As she drank the milk she'd picked up, she considered how much she wanted a real drink.

Green barely noticed as the Chansey dropped off her pokeballs, and only retrieved them as she finished off the rice ball and stowed the second sandwich in her bag, wrapped in a hand towel. She snatched a bottle of juice to use as a mixer and put it in her pocket as she strolled to the large blue computer in the corner. Still feeling angry with herself, she accessed the pokemon storage system, inserted her pokeball containing Caterpie and sent it off. As she began to access the withdraw feature, a small sub-screen appeared in the corner of the screen. Professor Oak's face appeared, and he looked urgent.

"Oh, hello Professor." Green said as she chose Regirock, and withdrew it with a couple taps of the screen. "How's tricks?"

"Green, did you capture this Regirock?" Professor Oak asked, a note of alarm entering his question.

"Yeah." Green said simply, also depositing Zubat after a moment's indecision. "In Mt. Moon. Why?"

"Well..." Oak seemed upset for a moment that Green didn't find this as fascinating as him. "Well, it means that there are more than one set of these legendary golems! This is an astounding development!"

"Sure is." Green said, nodding vaguely. "Well, I'll be sure to be on the lookout for the other two. I think Team Rocket's after them."

Oak looked shocked. "So, that's why Team Rocket made such a bold move! This is distressing indeed. It's possible that they were just after a confirmed location of a legendary pokemon. Either way, I'm going to do some research. There could be clues as to the whereabouts of the other two. Be on the lookout during your travels for any more clues! If the moment comes down to a decision between you or Team Rocket capturing a pokemon, you must do it! There could be terrible consequences should they get a hold of even one, let alone all three."

"Capture them if I can. Got it."

Oak looked the dejected Green up and down as she stowed away her pokeballs. "I can't help noticing you seem preoccupied. Is something the matter?"

Green looked up at the screen. There was a moment there where Green considered just talking, fast and without thinking, like Marta had done before Mt. Moon. Talking about everything from her first lost battle all the way to her sudden strange gender confusion. In that moment, she felt sure that he'd have some advice to make it all better.

"Excuse me, are your eyes red?" Oak asked, squinting through the screen to hers.

Green snapped out of whatever small internal fit she'd had. "No, and nothing's the matter Professor. Say hello to Blue for me. Goodbye." she said, closing the connection even as Oak smiled back and gave a half "Goodb-"

Green turned from the PC and walked out of the pokemon center. After some internal struggle, where she moved her eyes from Mt. Moon to the hotel over and over, she finally relented and walked back towards the hotel. Part of her felt like getting out there and training right now.

Once inside the hotel, she didn't have to go far until she found Marta and Janine. Both were wearing fresh clothes, Janine still dressed in a nearly all-black outfit while Marta wore a red, sleeveless blouse and a pair of brown pants. They both smiled as they recognized Green.

"Hey, how are you feeling Green?" Marta asked, standing up and walking over to Green to make sure she was really alright.

Green smiled back. "Hey I'm fine. I was more worried about you! You looked about ready to throw up back there."

Looking embarrassed, Marta then glanced towards the floor. "Well. I did once. But I waited until after we fought those Rockets."

Green patted her on the shoulder. "You were great back there. I'm glad to have you on my side." Green smiled at Marta, who blushed heavily and smiled wordlessly in response. Green turned to Janine, who was standing and watching the exchange with mock boredom. "Thank you too Janine. You came and helped us out without any reason to. I'm in your debt."

Janine smiled in response. "Let's just call us even for me stalking you from Pewter then. Plus, we stopped Team Rocket. Those guys would have just taken that big pokemon and sold it anyhow."

"Big pokemon? The largest pokemon of those that they released was a Golbat." Marta, who had been smiling, suddenly frowned.

Green was impressed. Marta had picked out that one detail from Janine's story so easily. "Well... we think they were after a different one."

Marta looked shocked. "What were they after then?"

Rather than try and explain, Green opened her pokedex, opened it to the Regirock entry and handed it over. Marta read somberly for a minute.

"Wow. Congratulations, Green!" Marta said, looking excited for her as she handed the computer back. "I never even thought I'd see a legendary pokemon in my lifetime!"

Green accepted her pokedex back. "Yes, well. It's a duty I don't take lightly. Um, maybe we should keep quieter on the whole... legendary pokemon thing." Green murmured, glancing around and the gratefully empty lobby.

"Well, Marta and I just had breakfast. Marta, didn't you want to go and take another shower this morning?" Janine asked sweetly to the older girl.

Marta thought about it for a moment. "Well, I guess you're right. In all the commotion I just washed my hair last night and went to bed. I'll be back in a few minutes then!" Marta got up, grabbed her bag, and headed up the stairs to her room.

They both watched her go, and Janine grinned at Green. "Hey, how about a morning drink? You still look quite out of it."

Green nodded glumly, and Janine jerked her head. "Let's go to my room. We have another night on these rooms, by the way. Officer Jenny helped us out a lot."

"Where's Red anyhow?" Green asked as they went into Janine's room, where there was still her pouch flopped down in the corner chair. She took out the juice from earlier and the bottle of vodka, and mixed a pair of drinks using two mugs she found on the desk.

"Your friend was really active last night, and once we got here he wanted to challenge the Gym Leader right away. Of course it was 2 AM by then, but he still had to go check it out. I went to sleep before he came back. Probably sleeping in his room now." Janine said offhandedly as she took her cup, slid into a chair, and sipped it with a sigh. "You were quite inspiring last night. You really seemed determined to stop Team Rocket."

Green nodded. There was a moment's silence, and Janine carefully watched her face during the shared silence. "Is there something the matter, Green?"

Green looked Janine in the eye. "I got beat for my first time just this morning. I went out because I thought I could just beat the gym while you guys were asleep, but then I got challenged by my old rival from back home. It was kinda close, but I lost all the same. I know I shouldn't beat myself up so much for it, but I sorta can't help it." she said in a rush, then looked back down and finished her drink without meeting Janine's eye again. What she didn't say was that she knew she'd never lost a rival battle when she was Rudolph. A couple of the Gym battles yes, but never a rival battle. This was like a slap to the ego.

There was another moment of silence between the two. Green felt fingers brush hers, and then Janine was holding her hand and squeezing it softly. "You're so pessimistic. One loss shouldn't be anything to get upset about. He was a tough trainer, I saw his match against Brock. He only used one pokemon, and it wasn't even close. You should be happy you have a rival like that. The next time you meet I bet you're going to blow him away. Besides, I'll bet you didn't even use your new catch. Imagine how he'd have looked then?"

Green looked up and smiled at Janine. The two held hands in silence for a moment until Green looked down at their clasped hands. Janine began to disengage the hold, but Green plucked her hand out of mid-air and squeezed back. Their eyes met, and there was an intense moment in the room. Before Green could think to do or say anything, a pokeball in her bag opened up and let out Munchlax, who grabbed Janine's drink out of her unresisting hand. The loud slurp as he drank from the cup broke whatever spell had been there, and the two released hands at once.

"Munchlax." Green said in a neutral way, like someone acknowledging a business associate in the hall. Munchlax looked confused at the icy tone in her voice, and didn't ask for a second drink right away, but instead took the one he had pilfered to the side of the room. She pulled her eyes to Janine's, who looked a bit pink in the face. "Um, another drink?"

"Sure." Janine said in an overly cheerful voice. The two were silent as another drink was poured all around.

Munchlax opened the door for Marta when she came knocking. Green and Janine were sitting on the bed together, exchanging small-talk in low voices. They both looked up and smiled at Marta, who for a moment felt strangely like a third wheel as she sat down. "Well, I'm done my shower. What are we going to do now?"

Green put down her mug and got up. "Well, for one I think we should go and train a bit before we go to the Gym here." She said the next sentence casually, without thinking. "Maybe we should go up north past the bridge and see Bill."

Marta and Janine exchanged a glance. "Who's Bill?" Janine asked curiously.

Green opened her mouth, hesitated, and shut it slowly. Who WAS Bill? She had just said it offhandedly, but now she just couldn't recall. There was once again that odd feeling of blankness in her head that made it throb. She put a hand to her head and tried to think harder. There was just that dull nothing, and the pain of trying to remember more was making her wince noticeably. "Um, nobody. Let's go."

Marta frowned. "You looked like you had a bad headache for a moment. Are you alright?"

There was a moment where Green just considered lying so they could just get out there and train, but looking into Marta and Janine's worried expressions killed the lie. She looked at the ground. "I think I may have lost some memory. I can't remember a lot of stuff. It's like a hole in my head where there stuff I'm supposed to know is supposed to be."

There was a moment as this information was digested. "So, it's like someone took memories out of your head or something?" Janine asked slowly, and without skepticism.

Green nodded. At that phrase 'took memories out of your head' she had a sudden flash of when she had captured Totodile. What had happened after she'd caught him? "That would be accurate I suppose."

She had expected them to scoff, tell her that her mind was playing tricks on her or maybe even just laugh at the notion. Instead, both exchanged a glance and spent a moment in serious thought. "Well, a psychic of some sort is who you'd probably want to see." said Janine in an offhanded way.

Marta nodded in agreement. "Sure. Sabrina, the Gym Leader in Saffron, is the only psychic I know of. There must be others of course."

There was a moment as Green stared back at them. The answer was so obvious now that it was out there. She'd been stupid not to remember such an obvious fact about a Gym Leader. Thinking about Gym Leaders made her think about Janine again, but she put that thought aside. This psychic thing was a good idea. "Hey, yeah! I can't believe I didn't think about that!" she got up, and felt suddenly like Red. "Well, it's looks like we're gonna have to go out training now then. We've got to get to Saffron City as soon as possible!"

Marta nodded happily at Green's regained spirits. "Of course! There's a bridge that leads north out of town. We could go down the trail on the other side. I hear they have wild pokemon up there."

Green gathered her pouch, in the best mood she'd been in all day. Though the morning had been full of disappointment, things were looking up.

The three of them ended up considering bringing Red along, but the light snoring barely heard through the door discouraged them. They left a note explaining they'd be back later on that night, and soon they were off across the bridge. For some reason Green expected to be challenged while on the bridge, but while a few people ambled past none seemed interested in a battle.

Once they got to the other side, there was a long, rocky wooded trail that extended east practically as far as the eye could see. Near the end, barely visible on a hill, was some sort of building. A shimmer of water could be seen even from here, near the establishment.

"Well." Janine said with a curiously neutral face. "That must be Bill's house."

Green brushed past Janine without comment. She didn't like being made fun of.

The path was cool and easygoing as they made their way along the winding semi-trail through the land, worn by foot tread alone. There were a few sparse trainers, mostly packless people that looked as if they had either biked this way or simply come here on foot, but none ended up posing much of a challenge. Green mostly used Munchlax, while Marta and Janine fought with Heracross and Nidorina respectively. They ran across a Bellsprout, but Green had no problem letting Marta capture it as she scanned for more wild pokemon.

Green's wait turned out to be worth it. There was a large bush with plump red berries, and a small pokemon with what looked like a large, green helmet on its' head, with a red horn poking from the top. She grinned and threw a pokeball before her companions, both trailing behind, could react. "Munchlax! Lick!"

Munchlax appeared behind the wild pokemon, who whirled on the spot in surprise at the sound of his appearance. Before it could react, Munchlax let its' tongue out, and dragged it slowly across the smaller pokemon's face with a look of almost gleeful satisfaction. The other pokemon shuddered, possibly just out of the pure revulsion of the moment, and just stood there for a moment. Green's pokeball hit it on the head, and it was swallowed up into red light. It stopped shaking after a few moments, and Green basked in the triumph of the moment.

"Wow, what did you catch?" Marta asked as she stopped alongside Green, who was bending to pick up the pokeball.

"Ralts." Green said with satisfaction as she let the newest addition to her team out. The small helmed pokemon looked embarrassed at all the attention as Marta and Janine smiled down at it, and it shied back towards the berry bush. Munchlax was tearing into the bush with gusto, and ran up to Green with a full mouth as it began jumping up and down with its' arm held up. Knowing what it wanted, she took out the second bottle, and before she could pour a drink it snatched up the bottle and started drinking slowly, washing down his meal of berries with a satisfied noise. It began to glow suddenly, and before their eyes Munchlax started to grow larger and larger, until suddenly it was smaller than small trees, towering two feet above Green's frame.

Ralts, who had been eating berries, backed away from the bush as Snorlax reached down and ripped up the whole thing with a grunt. It began eating the thing with every sign of enjoyment, and when it finished it lay back, drank the rest of the bottle and went into a comfortable sleep. Ralts walked around the huge pokemon and up to Green, turning and looking up to her quietly.

Feeling like a response was called for, Green patted Ralts on the head. "Well at least you didn't fight him after. Welcome to the team." Thought she couldn't see its' eyes from here, she was sure it looked happy. Green returned both to their balls. She turned to Janine with a grin. "You want us to save the next pokemon for you? We sort of have an unofficial rotation going on."

Janine smiled back vaguely. "If it's the right type, maybe. I'm more worried about the group that's been tailing us." Both Green and Marta looked shocked, and started to glance back down the path when Janine hissed, "Do not look! I want them to think we do not notice them. Pretend we are speaking of the new pokemon and talk low."

"How many people are there?" Green asked as she feigned a fresh gout of glee over her new catch.

"At least five. Probably six. They're walking in a tight group." Janine said as she patted Green on the shoulder.

"Why haven't we noticed?" Marta questioned offhandedly, taking a pokeball casually off her belt, as if comparing hers and Green's.

"They're staying a ways away, but they're certainly following us. Ever since the bridge. They stop when we do." Janine said evenly.

Green pulled out another few pokeballs with a sigh. "Look, let's just deal with this now." She broke suddenly away from the huddle and marched purposefully up to the now quite obvious clump of people following them. It turned out to be six people, an older man with five surly-looking teenagers.

The man had a cap on, turned backwards in a way that made him look desperate to appear younger. He backed away from the swiftly advancing girl a single step, and then seemed to compose himself as he glanced at the kids behind him.

"Why have you been following us?" Green asked in a not-too-friendly tone as she crossed her hands across her chest. Marta and Janine came trotting up behind her, pokeballs in hand.

The man glared back. "We're usually stationed on the bridge to test trainers. We offer the good ones a future." he smiled then at Green, a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "But we know you're a good trainer already. We also heard you got something that my boss may pay a lot for." The man had that same smile still on his face, and the kids around him snickered as if he'd said something hilariously witty.

Green nodded slowly. "I see. Out of curiosity, how many pokemon do you have?"

The man looked confused. "Four, why?"

Green looked to the kid next to him. "I'll bet none of you kids have more than two pokemon, huh?"

The kid looked even more confused. "Um, I have one pokemon. Everyone else has two except Jerry there." He pointed to Jerry, who shyly held up three pokeballs.

Green had a moment of mental calculation. "That means you have fourteen pokemon. We also have fourteen pokemon. I have six, my friend Marta has five, and Janine here has three."

"Four." Janine added. "I don't think you've seen my Zubat yet."

Nodding in agreement, Green went on. "Alright, fifteen. We beat you in numbers. Never mind the fact that we've got a Gym badge, have been smearing trainers like you across the road as we've been strolling along, and probably have better pokemon. I mean, I'm gonna bet right now that you all have pokemon that either look small and furry or small and feathery. Maybe one of you has a snake or a Nidoran. Stop me if I'm downplaying anyone here."

The man looked unfazed, and sneered at Green's words. "You're just trying to act confident. It'll take more than that to freak out these kids!" The kids around him looked as if they didn't exactly agree with this. Most were looking at their pokeballs doubtfully.

"Maybe you're right. Look, I could use another chunk of money to buy dinner for these ladies tonight. Are we gonna fight or not?" Green suddenly reached down to her pouch, and released all six of her pokemon.

"Harper, maybe we should think about this..." murmured one of the kids standing alongside the man, apparently called Harper. "I mean, they do have more pokemon... and what the hell is that pokemon anyhow?" he asked as he pointed at Regirock, who stood still as anything as it waited for an order.

"It doesn't matter!" yelled Harper, who threw out his own four pokemon out. An Ekans, Grimer, Croagunk and Tentacool. "We can just do this if we..."

"Ancientpower." said Green in a bored voice. Regirock glowed faintly, and a number of rocks formed around its' body. They sat in mid-air for a moment, and flew out at the enemy pokemon. Only Croagunk got slowly up from the assault, and he looked like he didn't want any more battling.

The guy returned his three fainted pokemon, and tossed a potion to his last upright one. "That's impressive, but once that big one goes does, how good's the rest of your team? Kids, go for the big one first!"

There was a long silence, and Harper slowly closed his eyes. "They ran away, didn't they?"

"Rounding the bend in the path now. The girl in the front's got quite a turn of speed." said Janine conversationally.

"Yes, well. The fact still remains that I've got one pokemon up." said the man without much confidence.

"Confusion." said Green as she returned Shroomish and Beedrill. Ralts concentrated, and the nervous Croagunk was picked up and slammed down to the ground. It didn't get up. "Look, if you heard about me then you must have also heard about what I did to the last Team Rocket member I caught alone."

Harper turned white, and quietly considered for a moment. He took out his wallet and his three returned pokemon, and threw them all at Green's feet in disgust. "I'm keeping Croagunk." the man said with a sulky defiance. "He's my first pokemon."

Green nodded as she considered. "That's fair. Nobody can call me an unfair girl I think." the Team Rocket member looked relieved at the words, but his good feelings didn't last long. "I think that you need to leave your pants though. Fair exchange I'd say."

Squirming on the spot, the man looked up at Regirock, Snorlax, and Charmeleon, who were all slowly closing the distance between them. He gulped. "Fine, fine. Very fair." he pulled off his pants, managing to get them off over his shoes. He wore red boxer shorts that managed to serve as a reasonable level of modesty. He tossed the pants to Green as well, who picked them up and began going through the pockets. Janine scooped up the guy's pokeballs and put them in her bag.

"Alright, you can go." Green said in a bored tone of voice as she took the money out of the wallet and pocketed it. "Charmeleon, Ember."

Harper screamed as Charmeleon shot a line of fire at him, barely dodging it as he tore down the path back after his comrades.

Fishing a small, gleaming gold nugget out of the pocket of the pants, Green grinned. "Man, I love Team Rocket. They pay for my fun."

"I think you may be prodding a sleeping lion." Janine commented dryly, her stern expression twitching in the corner with suppressed mirth.

"Whatever. We'll deal with it when the time comes. If they keep sending sad sacks at us like that, we'll just keep taking their pokemon. Let's go, I wanna make it back by dark." Green said offhandedly, turning back to the building at the end of the path as she returned Regirock, Ralts and Snorlax. "Charmeleon, burn the pants."

Marta was smiling at Green with pride as they continued, the smell of burning pants wafting on the breeze. "That was wonderful, Green. You made that guy nearly cry."

Green grinned back. "It's not hard to show a little muscle. These guys just need to start sending guys with full teams after us, knock on wood." she rapped her knuckles on a tree.

"Well I know no matter how tough they are, you'll always be ready." Marta said in such a confident voice that it made Green embarrassed.

"Thanks, Marta. I'm glad you're so unflappable."

They encountered another couple of wild pokemon on the way, a Ratatta which Green reluctantly caught to fill out her pokedex, and an Oddish that Janine picked up after a discussion with Marta. There were two trainers as well, a young couple who challenged Green to a pokemon battle and lost when she used Shroomish and Ralts against their Nidorino and Nidorina. Finally they reached the house on the hill, a large building that had two large cylinders next to it. Pipes went from the cylinders to a clear water pond nearby, and Green got the impression that it was a cooling system for whatever was inside. The lawn leading up to the front door looked and felt unkempt, as if whoever lived here had long given up trying to make it presentable.

Making their way up to the door, Green knocked slowly and carefully. There was a long pause at the sound, and no noise came from inside. Green had just turned to suggest they go when they heard a faint noise from inside, like the cry of some creature. After a moment of hesitation, Green tried the door handle, which opened slowly onto a mostly dark house. There was garbage scattered everywhere on the inside. There were things knocked over and a noticeable pattern of food stains scattering the walls. Things were quiet as they all entered the place, looking serious.

There was a noise deep in the premises, and the three girls shared a glance. "Hello? Is anyone there?" Marta yelled into the house, but that only led to the immediate silence of the house, as if whatever had been making the noise had suddenly heard them. The three of them still walked in deeper, determined to find what had caused such chaos here.

Once they entered the kitchen they found their answer. On a table in the middle of the room there was a large creature hunched over something apparently edible, because it was digging into the thing with every sign of enjoyment. It didn't even notice them as they walked slowly into the room, glancing around at the appalling state of the kitchen. Green pulled out a pokeball, and pointed to a light switch. Marta, the person nearest to it, walked to the switch and laid her hand in front of it. There was a moment of silence as a collective breath was taken in, and Marta flipped the light on.

The thing turned around, and they were all shocked to see a human. He was sitting on all fours, eating out of a box of cereal like an animal. He shrieked when he saw the light, and ran to cower in the corner. The three trainers stared at him, and exchanged a glance. "Um, hello?" Green volunteered, hoping to make sense of this.

"Hello there." Came a voice from behind them. They all whirled around, and saw a Ratatta sitting dejectedly on a pile of boxes. "I'm sorry; this is quite an unusual circumstance you three have wandered into. My name is Bill, and I seem to have gotten myself into a bit of a mess." said the rat in perfectly understandable speech.

"You're Bill?" Janine asked curiously, and glanced for a split second at Green, who had a neutral look on her face.

"Yes indeed. You see I've been trying to further perfect my transportation system here at this facility, but alas I seem to have run across a bit of a miscalculation. Could you please assist me, kind ladies? I cannot use my keyboard with these paws." the Ratatta that was Bill said in an easy, educated tone.

Marta looked the most affected by Bill's situation. "Oh, you poor man! Of course we'll help you! What do we need to do?"

Green, who could see where these things were going, let out Regirock who appeared near the cowering man-rat. It squealed, but even as Green cried "Hold it!" Regirock was grabbing it in a loose bear hug. The man scrambled at the rock pokemon's hold, but it was obviously more panicked rat than thinking human, and instead of trying to squirm out of the hold it merely shrieked and tried to bite and scratch at it.

"Well, there's step one. Follow me if you please." Bill-rat said pleasantly, and led them out of the room and down a side hall. "I only thank my lucky stars you came now. Imagine what would have happened if he had gotten loose! Or even been given free reign of the house for another couple of hours."

"Yes," agreed Green with a serious look on her face. "These floors would be covered with shit."

Bill-rat cleared his throat. "Yes. That is not exactly what I meant but it would be a concern. I was simply worried about him getting out and me with nowhere to turn to get my body back. Knowing the others in my field, I would probably eventually get captured and out in a lab to be studied." Bill entered another room, this one full of electronics, and in the middle of the room one computer with dozens of wires coming in and out of it. There were two tubes on the back wall, both with open doors. "Now, just put my body into that tube, I'll go in this one and you just activate the transportation option on my computer there." Bill then scrambled into the left tube, and Janine shut it behind him.

Green told Regirock to place Bill's body in the other tube, and walked over to the console. It had a number of complicated-looking windows full of spreadsheets open, but in the center there was a simple-looking window with a few choices. "Activate" and "Abort Sequence" were the only two options open and clickable, so she chose "Activate" and turned to watch the tubes. There was a half minute as nothing happened, and then both tubes let out a sharp click as the doors locked. The room was filled with a deep humming that made the floors shake for a moment, and then both tubes opened up. After a moment, the left tube opened with a hiss, and Bill stepped out in his human body.

"Ah, my body! Thank you, ladies! I can't tell you how good it feels to have thumbs again." Bill said, flexing his hands with apparent pleasure as he walked over to the other tube. It opened, revealing a Ratatta who looked confused as hell. Bill picked up a pokeball off the ground and returned it before continuing. "This was meant to be my first foray into not just pokemon transportation, but human as well! It seems that the system still has a lot of work to be done on it before it can accept humans however. Maybe it's just the interaction between pokemon/human subjects is all…" Bill trailed off, and he absentmindedly picked up a notebook lying nearby and began scribbling notes.

"Well, I'm glad we could help." said Green, now looking to go now that the interesting stuff had happened. "So, what's the quickest way back to town anyhow?"

Bill waved his hands at Green, and smiled hugely. "Oh, I couldn't let you leave without giving you some kid of reward! You saved my life back there! It's the least I could do." He said as he put down his notebook and rushed to a filing cabinet in the corner of the room. There, he dug for a while before he finally extracted an envelope, which he opened with a finger. "I was sent some tickets here for the S.S. Anne. I don't think I'm going to be able to go on the voyage, however. There's been a whole lot of work piling up, and now I've got to deal with my whole house being a mess." He looked inside, and then handed the whole envelope over. "There's four tickets inside. I may as well give you all of them."

Green was actually reluctant to take the gift. She didn't know how much time this trip would take, and she was eager to get the badges for the Pokemon League. Her companions had other plans however, because Janine reached out and snatched the envelope before Green could say anything. She turned to her two companions, who were holding the envelope as if it were full of gold.

"The S.S. Anne?!" Marta exclaimed, looking pleased as she extracted a ticket. "It's a luxury cruise liner! It only takes a trip every few months! They've always got plenty of food, battling, and plenty of other stuff too! My dad said he went a few years ago and he nearly ate himself to bursting!" Marta said in an ecstatic tone of voice, practically bouncing on her toes.

"Oh, it'll be good to get a massage." Janine added wistfully. "I wouldn't say no to a couple days of sunbathing either."

Feeling her spirits sink, Green decided to still try getting out of it. "Well… I mean we're going to be too busy to do this right?" she asked without much hope.

Both girls looked at Green like she was stupid. "Of course we're not!" they both said together, emphatically.

Janine put an arm around Green's shoulders and smiled. "Come on, Green. You deserve a short break as much as we do. Won't you please do it for us?" she asked, her last words coming out slow and sweet.

Green looked up at Janine, and couldn't help but smile back. She knew she had lost with that smile. "Fine, whatever. We'll go on the ship."

Bill cleared his throat, which made the three of them jump. In the excitement of the moment they'd all forgotten he was there. "I'm glad you enjoy the tickets! I always get some because I helped out the captain once with setting up a PC on the ship. I must say that while it's fun it can get a bit repetitive after a while. Would you all care for some tea?"

"Sure, sounds like a blast." Green said as they all filed out of the room and into the kitchen. "So you made the computer system on the ship?"

Bill smiled as he put a kettle of water on the stove. He had scrounged up a tin can full of tea bags that had not got eaten. "Yes, in fact I and my associate Lanette have developed the majority of the storage system currently in place. Of course there have been numerous others that have made contributions to the system in our time."

Green tuned out the conversation entirely as Marta joined in with questions about the PC system. She tried to feign interest, but only ended up thinking more about her upcoming battle with Misty. Soon the tea was served, and after they were done the sun was already pink in the sky outside.

"…and of course that's when my mother gave up being a Kimono Girl." Bill said offhandedly to Marta, who seemed to be the only one paying any real attention.

"Well isn't that a thing." Green said in an even tone of voice. She looked up at Bill. "Look, I hate to cut this short, but we have to get to the Cerulean Gym before it closes. Of course it was a pleasure meeting you Bill."

Janine shot up. She had been resting her head in her hands and staring out of the window, but paid attention now that a way of leaving was present. "Yes, we have to go!"

Looking genuinely disappointed that they had to cut short their conversation. She drained her cup, and stood up with a bow. "Thank you very much for the tea. I had a great time. Thank you for the tickets as well. We'll make sure to keep in touch!"

Bill looked sorry to see them go. "Oh, of course. I don't mean to keep you any longer than necessary. Please, if ever you are in the area, please stop by. I'm always glad to see some friends to talk with."

They all left, and Bill waved them off as they walked down the hill. "Man, he needs a partner or something." Green muttered as they went out of sight of the house. Looking up at the sky, Green scowled. "I dunno if we're gonna make it back in time. I have an idea."

Ralts was let out in a cascade of red light. It lifted its' helmeted head to look at Green in anticipation. "Everyone put a finger on Ralts." Green commanded, and the other two laid a gentle finger on each of the pokemon's shoulders. Green put her hand on top of its' head. "Teleport."

There was a feeling like the universe twisted into a ball and snapped back all at once. Green blinked, and looked around at the entrance of the Cerulean City Pokemon Center. Ralts looked exhausted at the mental energy needed to make this work, and it was grateful when Green returned it and walked inside. She was surprised that the people around them didn't even seem to notice their sudden appearance. Janine and Marta followed at a trot, and all three went into the Pokemon Center to restore their pokemon to full health.

"Green!" yelled an excited voice as they all entered. Red ran up to the trio, pushing past various people in their way in his haste to get to them as fast as possible. He beamed as he finally stopped, and pulled out a badge shaped like a teardrop. "I did it! While you guys were gone I got the badge! Can you believe it?!"

Smiling vaguely, Green patted Red on the shoulder. "Yup. You sure did." She hesitated for a moment, and very reluctantly continued, "Hey, Red, do you want to come on the S.S. Anne with us? We got an extra ticket earlier on." Green didn't want to have to encourage Red any longer, but at the same time he had helped out with Team Rocket, and telling him now that they didn't want him around would be like kicking a very excitable puppy.

Red's eyes widened. "Would I!" he said ecstatically, dancing around in a little circle. "I can't wait! This is the best day ever!"

"Yes, yes. I'll bet it is." Green said vaguely, brushing past Red to drop off her pokemon at the counter. "We've gotta go get our badges after this. I hope you don't mind waiting around for a while."

"No, I don't mind." said Red evenly. He was standing close behind Green, and when she looked back at him he blushed suddenly and backed up a step. "Um, I'll just wait for you at the Gym." He said nervously, and quickly left the Pokemon Center, leaving a very confused Green behind.

Marta giggled, and Green whirled to glare at her. Marta had one hand covering her mouth, and could barely keep her laughter in. "He likes you." She said with a smile on her face.

Green felt sick to her stomach. This just added a whole lot of problems onto the pile. "Oh…" she said slowly, and sat down on one of the couches with a sigh. "Well that's not good."

Marta sat down next to her with a twinkle in her eye. "Oh, it's not so bad. You've never dated a boy before, have you?"

Green opened and closed her mouth a few times. "Um… I can safely say no." She slowly got up again, and without a word brushed past Janine, who was standing there smiling at Green's response. Green stopped at the PC, extracted two of her remaining eight bottles of vodka, and snagged a bottle of juice from the concessions table before plopping back down next to Marta.

The other two watched silently as Green poured herself one drink, finished it, and poured another. Janine plopped down next to Green, looking concerned. "Something the matter?"

I don't think it would be very good to keep traveling with Red, Green wanted to say. If he likes me then he's just setting himself for heartbreak. For one he's kind of annoying, for two I still find handling a cock kind of gay unless it's my own, and for three all this Red being around is seriously gonna cut into my chances of scoring with you two. What she said was, "No."

Janine nodded, with an expression on her face that said she didn't buy it. "Fine, alright. Can I have a drink too?"

Green nodded and poured another drink, wordlessly handing it over to Janine. After a moment of drinking, Nurse Joy bustled up with the three sets of pokeballs. She silently handed them out, and paused in front of Green.

"Um, excuse me, is that alcohol?" Nurse Joy asked, in a tone of voice that screamed disapproval.

"Well, duh. I just found out I apparently have an admirer. Why, do you have a problem with it?" Green responded fiercely, and glared.

Nurse Joy looked embarrassed. "Um… no. No, just curious." She said, bustling away quickly.

Marta looked at Green, who was pouring herself a third drink. "Um, maybe you've had enough for today."

Green got up, and her glare at Marta made her actually back away. "No. I. Haven't." she said through clenched teeth. She knew she wasn't angry at Marta, but right then she was the only person around who had decided to make a dumb comment like that.

When Green and the other two finally left the Pokemon Center, Green realized quite quickly that she was the drunkest she'd been since coming here. Both of her companions walked behind her, whispering to each other as Green marched unsteadily down the street and towards the open doors of the Cerulean City Gym. The shadows were long in the afternoon light, but Green didn't even notice as she marched right up to the doors and paused there, on the threshold, looking furious.

"Can I have one of those cigars?" Green asked Janine, holding out one hand imperiously.

Janine slowly fished in her bag and wordlessly handed it over. Green took it, sniffed it, and walked inside the Gym, contented.

There weren't many people here this time of afternoon. The seats were populated with only a few sparse people, most of whom were a family who watched as a blue-haired girl in a bathing suit led a Vaporeon through a rigorous training regime. The large center pool in the place was outfitted with four large foam pads, which seemed to support the weight of the Vaporeon nicely as it dove above water, ran along the length of one and dove back into the water with barely a splash. Green walked casually up to one end of the pool and glared at the blue haired girl. "Hey, I'm here to challenge the Gym!"

Everyone stared at her for a moment. It was an awkward moment. The blue haired girl coughed, and looked around. "Um, right. I'll… uh, get Misty." She shuffled awkwardly towards a large curtain patterned with water Pokemon in the back of the room. There was another few moments of silence.

"Are we gonna see a pokemon battle?" whispered one of the children with the family. This place echoed sounds, and Green could make out their talking well even from poolside.

"Yes, Greg" said his mother in a quiet, placating voice.

"Is she gonna win?"

"Maybe sweetheart. She's kind of young. Cheer even if she loses."

Green's eyebrow twitched. Maybe it was just the alcohol taking hold something fierce, maybe it was the comment, but she was furious all of a sudden. Feeling unable to vent her rage sufficiently at the family, she focused the anger at her new mental struggle. Christ, why did she ever let anyone come along in the first place? Saying yes to one person snowballed into a giant drama. Maybe it was inevitable. Maybe she was going to get a sudden group one way or the other, and it was better that it was now.

A thought whipped through Green's mind that suddenly stopped her blood cold. What is it WAS inevitable? Come to think of it, her new group had all come together awfully quick. What did she really know of these three people? Marta lived on Cinnabar Island. She used to have a boyfriend, couldn't recall the name. Janine had a father she had issues with, and she wore black clothes. There was also something, like a ghost of a memory, which kept telling her she knew the girl from somewhere. Red was the male main character from the games. She vaguely remembered him being enthusiastic and having a Pikachu. That was about it collectively. Was there a possibility that these three companions were placed in her path like land mines by the weird shadowy men? Were they DESIGNED to cause drama and tension, or to distract from the goal?

As the anger gave way to a sudden nervous confusion, the curtain was pulled back, and a girl with spiky red hair combed to one side came out. She was wearing a bikini, with a pokemon trainer's belt slung across her waist in a way that made Green think of a cowboy. She looked exasperated at this challenger. "Oh, more trainers today? I've only got three battle worthy pokemon left! Are you the challenger?" she demanded of Green.

Green could feel the alcohol-induced anger kick her body back to the present. "Yes I am. Are you the Gym Leader's daughter?"

The girl went red. "No, I'm the Gym Leader. Misty." She responded coldly. She reached down to the belt. "May I get your name?"

"Green." She said, and wondered vaguely if she had a last name technically.

"Green, this will be a three-on-three pokemon battle. I specialize in an all-out offensive with water pokemon, so be prepared. Quagsire!" she threw out her first pokeball, releasing the slow-looking blue salamander out. It blinked slowly in the fading light, and again in the sudden lights that were turned on inside the Gym.

"Shroomish." Green chose, tossing out the mushroom pokemon who bounced up and down eagerly. "Mega Drain!"

Quagsire groaned as its' energy was slowly being drained. "Mud Shot! Knock it in the water!" Misty yelled back fiercely. Quagsire breathed in, and spewed a stream of mud that knocked Shromish rolling off the pad.

When he hit the water, Shroomish began to panic. Being just a ball with legs, he couldn't see to get himself out of the water. "Get back on a platform! Hurry Shroomish!"

"Quagsire, Slam!" yelled Misty, seeing an advantage. Quagsire jumped in the water, and with surprising speed swam over to Shroomish. He hit it hard with his tail, sending Shroomish spinning through the water.

Green bit her lip and thought desperately. "Um, take a big breath to steady yourself!" she yelled, he first thing that came to mind. Shroomish did as it was told, and surprisingly it suddenly see-sawed back upright. It looked pleased with itself. "Now Mega Drain, hurry!" Shroomish concentrated hard, and the rapidly approaching Quagsire was once again drained of energy. It slowed noticeably in the water, and suddenly looked exhausted as it stopped moving.

Misty returned her pokemon with a grunt, and Green cheered. "Nice job Shroomish! Now, find a way to pull yourself up…" her response died in her throat as that wonderful glow surrounded Shroomish. It began to grow in the water, a tail and head curling away from the body. Two short arms came out too, and one of those arms grabbed the side of the nearest pad and pulled it back up and on its' feet. Breloom stood ready, tail swinging lazily behind it. Green giggled in glee.

Misty looked perturbed as she threw out her next pokemon "Starmie! Swift!" she commanded, wasting no time. Starmie appeared, floating in mid-air, and launched a volley of stars at Breloom. It held up its tail to protect its face as the stars rained down around it, but when Starmie stopped it swung its' tail back around and dropped into a menacing pose.

"Stun spore!" Green ordered back, and Breloom spewed out a stream of spores towards the hovering starfish. It started to slow in mid-air and dropped to the water with a mighty splash.

"Confuse Ray!" Misty said hurriedly, but the Starmie only shook in the water.

"Mega drain." Green commanded again. Why not go with a good thing? Breloom held a hand up and concentrated, pulling that green stream out this pokemon as well.

"Water Pulse!" Misty commanded, and Starmie finally shot out of the water, whizzing in the air as it fired a solid ball of water at Berloom. It skid off one of the floating tiles and hit Breloom square in the chest, knocking him back. The water looked as if it hurt, but Breloom's spongy hide cushioned the blow a bit.

"Headbutt!" Beloom shot forward, and rammed the gem in the middle with its forehead, driving the Starmie into the water. Breloom landed lightly on a foam pad.

Starmie floated there as Breloom looked considerably confident. Misty returned it with a growl. "Fine, my last pokemon then. Lapras! Aurora beam that Breloom!" Lapras appeared in the water, concentrated, and fired a multi-colored beam at Breloom even as it leapt straight at it. Unfortunately for Green it hit, and Breloom went splashing into the water.

Green returned Breloom, still feeling proud. For a moment she decided she would use Charmeleon, then something told her to just use the big guns. Why the hell not. "Hey, wanna see my new trump card? Regirock!"

Regirock appeared on one of the foam platforms, and it immediately buckled under its weight. There was a confusing moment of action, and then Regirock slipped into the pool. There was a dull thud as it hit the bottom.

For a moment, everything was quiet and then Misty burst out laughing. "That was it? Geez, maybe you should have thought this out more!"

Green grinned. "I thought it out enough." She cupped her hands around her mouth and bellowed into the pool, "Superpower!"

There was a moment of silence, and then with a great eruption of water Regirock shot up out of the water, eyes blazing yellow into the stunned Lapras' face. It barely cleared the surface, but it grabbed Lapras in a bear hug, tucked it tight, and plummed back under the water with the water pokemon in tow. There was a moment of silence again, and then a dull, deeper thud than before. Lapras slowly floated to the top, groaning feebly as it splashed in the waves and its' shell had a hairline crack down the right side. Regirock jumped out of the water and landed next to the pool edge with a deep thud that shook the floor a bit.

Misty looked stunned. "I… lost." she said slowly, stunned as she returned her Lapras.

"Really badly, too!" said one of three girls, all in bathing suits, standing behind her. It turned out to be the blue-haired girl from earlier, who was smiling and clapping. Next to her were a blonde and a girl with curiously purple hair, both joining in as well.

Green looked at her clapping curiously and realized others were joining in and cheering the victory, including the whole family from earlier. She felt embarrassed to blushing when she realized Marta, Red and Janine were all there, cheering loudest of all.

Misty walked around the pool and handed over a tear-shaped badge. "I can safely say you earned this, the Cascade Badge! I never expected such a fierce battle from one like you, and that's what cost me the win."

Taking it graciously, Green inspected her new badge with pride. Misty went on, pulling a disk out of a pocket on her belt. "And of course your TM for Water Pulse." She tossed it to Green, who took it looking stunned.

"Wait, these exist?" she asked, bewildered.

"Yes indeed?" Misty responded, looking curiously back at the three girls behind her, who shrugged.

"Brock's a bastard then… I need to get in touch with that cheapskate!" Green yelled suddenly, silencing the room for a moment. "I mean… I think my two friends here would like to battle for the Cascade Badge as well." She said lamely, motioning to Marta and Janine.

Misty rolled her eyes. "Well I'm out of usable pokemon. I've been getting hit up for battles all day. Daisy? Violet? I think you two are going to have to step up here." She said heavily as she walked over to a bench and sat down, where she was approached by her purple haired sister, who comforted her n the loss.

The two girls looked to each other, and it was clear in their expressions that they didn't like this idea at all. "Tell you what." said the girl in the blonde hair, who must have been Daisy, looking thoughtful. "Would you have a problem if we just gave you the badges?"

"No." said Janine and Marta almost in tandem.

"Great!" said the blue-haired girl who also must have been Violet. The two of them dug out a badge and TM apiece, handing them over to a grateful Marta and Janine.

"What?!" Misty yelled, running up to the two girls, flapping her arms in anger. "You can't just do this! I have a reputation to keep at this Gym! You can't just be…"

"Oh hush, little sister." said Daisy, tapping Misty on her nose. "We're tired, and if the other two are as good we don't stand a chance. Let's let everyone get to bed early." Misty looked like she wanted to fume, and settled for sighing and leaving the room in a huff.

"What's she so upset about?" asked Violet with a shrug. She waved to the trainers and left the room with a spring in her step.

"Thanks for all the help!" Green called as they all left the Gym and walked onto the quiet, dark streets of Cerulean City.

"That was awesome in there!" Red said enthusiastically as they all walked back to the hotel together. "I had to use three pokemon, but you just blew my performance away! I just know you're gonna be a Pokemon Master, Green!"

Green stopped in the road and looked at Red, and then Marta and Janine in turn as well. The other two were both smiling, Marta with her wide open smile and Janine with her small satisfied smirk. Green remembered her thoughts from earlier. These people could just be land mines. Human tar pits meant to slow her down. But once again Green was softened by those bright eyes that viewed her like their leader. Having people follow you around was like a drug, but like a drug with feelings attached to them. Green ultimately figured she was drunk, and just decided to say fuck it and roll with it. "You know, I think I am too." She responded to Red with a smile. She turned the smile to Janine, who smiled back in a warm and slightly curious manner.

Marta began talking after a few seconds. "Well, I don't know about you guys but I'm starving. Let's see if they have a meal cooked at the hotel." She brushed past Green, who looked back down the road and followed at a trot.

They did indeed have a meal set out when they returned. Large heated dishes were in the lobby, and a few other hotel guests were sitting around and eating amidst light conversation. They all had a good hot meal of wild rice, flaky rolls and what Green guessed was Magikarp grilled with garlic and butter. Green ate her fill before anyone else, especially Red who was on his second helping and going strong even as she finished her first plate. Green excused herself from the table; feeling tired, and promised to see everyone in the morning. She felt physically exhausted after drinking and eating so much, and she just wanted to go to sleep and not bother showering until the morning. Behind her she could hear the lazy chatter of Marta and Red as they discussed Red's battle at the Cerulean Gym.

Entering her room, Green quickly shut the door with a snap and stripped off her outer clothes with a sigh of relief as she fished out her overlarge sleeping shirt. She kept the hat on, just because she liked the way it looked. Settling down into the unmade mess of a bed she'd left behind, she sighed in relief. It would be such a load off hr mind if she could just sleep. The day had been absolutely packed. She could already feel her muscles relaxing even as she threw the blanket over her head. Fuck turning off the lights.

After about ten minutes, just when she was drifting off to sleep, there was a soft rap at the door. Green cracked an eye open. "What now?" she mumbled to herself as she got out of bed, throwing off the blanket with a huff of annoyance as she got up and stalked to the door. Throwing it open, she was surprised to see Janine standing at the door, looking like she had something on her mind.

"Green, can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked, coming in without waiting for a response. Green shut the door and followed her inside. Janine sat down on the edge of the bed, with Green plopping beside her and looking concerned. Janine spoke a bit hesitantly. "Green, do you think Red is handsome?"

Green looked shocked. "Wha? I mean… I guess he's not a bad looking guy, even though he's no Sean Connery."

Looking confused at the reference, Janine went on. "But do you find him attractive?

"Wait, what? I mean, sure he's a nice guy, why…"

Janine cut in like a knife. "No. I asked, do you find him attractive? It's a serious question. Think of it."

Hesitantly, Green put her mind to it. She had a feeling she knew where this was going. "No, I don't find him attractive." She said evenly.

"Do you think Marta's pretty?" Janine queried, moving a bit closer to Green.

Nodding, Green said simply, "sure she's pretty."

"Do you find her… attractive?" Janine asked slowly after a moment's pause.

"Yes. That is, I could consider myself attracted to her body if you want specifics." Green responded evenly.

Janine seemed to accept this question stoically as well, only nodding evenly. She moved in an inch closer, and Green could feel their legs touch briefly. "Do you find me attractive?" Janine asked simply, running a hand through her hair.

"You skipped the first question." Green noted in an even tone of voice, even as her heart pounded. Green let her finger drift to Janine's palm. "Yes."

Janine took Green's hand in her own and the two stared at each other for a long moment. Then Green reached up to the taller girl and pulled her head down for a short, sweet kiss on the lips. She then placed her head on Janine's chest and listened for a moment to the heartbeat. "Are you attracted to me?" Green asked in as husky of a whisper she could manage.

Janine, instead of responding, went in for another kiss that lasted twice as long as the first.

Chapter 10-Maybe Green Should Cut Back On the Drinking

Green opened one bleary eye, and the first thing that she wanted was to pee herself dry. Dislodging herself from Janine, who was asleep and clothed in her bed, she stumbled to the bathroom and relieved herself. Immediately after, her stomach lurched, and she found herself flushing the toilet even as she turned around and vomited her guts out. Laying there for a minute, panting with her head upon the toilet seat, Green had time to wonder what the hell had happened. Then she had time to think how sorry she must look right now. Tilting her head wearily to the side, she could see her hair dangling in the toilet. Great.

Closing her eyes, Green took a deep breath to try and stop the bile from rising again. It did anyhow, and once again she found herself pounding out the contents of her guts. After a shaky few minutes, Green reached over with a trembling hand and turned on the shower. She gave it a minute as she took some more deep breaths, trying not to breathe in her nose. It only helped a little. She could still smell and taste bile in her throat. It made her gag. Finally she flushed the toilet, waited for everything to swirl down, cleaning the hair that had flopped in as much as possible. Then, in that moment before the bowl filled back up, she flopped bodily into the tub with a satisfied sigh and a thump. Slowly she let her body come back to life in the warm water, feeling an ache come to her muscles all over. Lazily Green let her mouth dangle open, and she gargled and spit out the slightly metallic tasting shower water.

It was only when Green was back in the room and getting dressed did she fully notice Janine sleeping in the bed. That gave her pause. Come to think of it, she didn't know what had exactly happened last night. Really everything after the Gym battle was kind of a blur. There was something about asking if she liked Marta or something?

Then it all came crashing down on her. She had made out with Janine. Dammit. Had she been thinking clearly it wouldn't have been on her top five things to do. Well, that was a lie. It was, in the sense that the part of her that was still Rudolph wanted to bury his face into some tits. Green had just done it because… well because she hadn't really been thinking by that point. Maybe she had a drink too many. Come to think of it, her kidneys did hurt a bit as well. Green got a drink of water as she plopped down on a chair in the room.

Green felt that urge to throw up again halfway through the glass of water. Wanting to go for a walk or something, she shoved her soaking clothes in the washer/drier and stumbled out the door, grabbing two pokeballs on a last-minute whim.

The sun wasn't even up as Green walked through the misty streets of Cerulean City, and she was grateful for the silence and lack of people. It was oddly peaceful, and of course there would be nobody to notice she forgot her shoes. She made her way to the bridge at the north end of town, leaned over the railing and puked again into the water. Then, with a sigh of relief, she drank at her water again with slow and steady ease as she sat down on the bridge, facing out over the dark river. Stars shone off most of the surface, and the only thing that disrupted the peace were a few Magikarp that were coming to the surface to eat the results of yesterday's meals. Green smiled. "Heh. Gross."

Even as she watched one Magikarp come up and nearly break the surface, it seemed to slow down and dim gently into grey. Blinking furiously, Green got up and started looking around wildly. She didn't have to wait long until shadows further down the bridge began slowly coalescing into a tall, shadowy creature with a triangle of sea-green eyes that glowed gently in the sudden unreality.

The two stared at each other for a moment, and Green decided to break the silence. She decided on indignant. "Well, look who decided to show up. What the hell is it? Where's your asshole friend with the dark blue eyes?"

"THEY ARE NOT MY FRIEND." Responded the thing evenly, making . "WE HAVE COME TO INQUIRE ON YOUR CONDITION."

Green looked puzzled. "Um, what do you mean? Like, are you asking how I'm doing? I'm doing fucking lousy, you two-dimensional fuck! I mean, I've got three people back there that for some reason are following me on this journey. You wanna tell me that's not convenient? How am I supposed to know anything is real here? Any person, or anything? What's stopping me from taking all these pokemon, waiting until I can get them all strong, and go on a killing spree so massive that I've gotta be taken out by local authorities?"

The thing considered for a moment. "YOU MUST HAVE IMAGINED THAT THERE WAS REASON IN OUR CHOOSING YOURSELF." As Green considered that statement carefully, the thing went on. "WE DEEMED YOU AS THE PIECE DUE TO YOUR ABILITY TO BOTH SUCCEED AND FAIL IN EQUAL MEASURE."

Green waited for more, but it didn't come. "Wha… what does that even mean? And you never answered the part about the people in this world! Are they real or like, Matrix programs or something? Or you guys in disguise?"

"THEY ARE AS REAL YOU MAKE THEM OUT TO BE. PERHAPS IT IS EASIER FOR YOUR MIND TO ACCEPT THEM IF I SIMPLY TELL YOU NO HOWEVER." The thing said, and Green was astonished to hear a touch of what she could only think of as disapproval in the voice.

"Wait…" Green hesitated as she thought over his words. "Are you saying I treat people here like objects?"

"YOU TREAT YOUR OWN BODY AS AN OBJECT. HOW COULD YOU THINK DIFFERENT OF THE OTHERS?" it asked evenly.

Green blinked repeatedly. "Wait, what?! Hey I'm really confused here! Wha gives? The last guy just showed up and…" she drifted off as she thought it out. "Come to think of it, what did he do? Well, all I know what that he was much ruder than you! Now you're coming and giving me Sunday school lessons?!" The comment about treating her own body bad kind of hit home hard today.

The thing waited before it responded. It flickered gently like a TV with a shaky reception. It spoke slowly, like it was thinking carefully of each spoken word. "WE BELIEVE IN YOUR HIGHER NATURE. WHEN THE GAME WAS CALLED A DISPUTATION FORMED. YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE GAME CALLED FOR ONE EDIT TO THE RULES FOR EACH SIDE. EACH COULD DECIDE THE FORM OF THEIR EDIT WHICH COULD BE VOTED ON IN COUNCIL. THEY DECIDED TO TAKE THEIR EDIT IN THE FORM OF SELECTIVE MEMORY WIPE. WE CHOSE A DIRECT LINE OF COMMUNICATION."

As Green opened and closed her jaw in order to try popping her ears, she mentally translated. "So, those other guys took my memory, and you just decided to have a talk about my questionable morals?"

"IN SHORT. WE MERELY VOICE CONCERN OVER YOUR ACTIONS."

"What?! You guys transported me here against my will and… granted a fantasy I've had for… huh." Green's voice started off angry, and slowed as she rethought the words. "Well, the girl thing's kind of annoying and stuff. Fine, name one thing I've done that's questionable!"

"USING ALCOHOL YOU INNEBRIATED A YOUNG FEMALE IN A FRAGILE EMOTIONAL STATE AND MOLESTED HER." The thing said. Green winced noticeably.

"Well, of course it's bad if you put it like that!" she retorted, feeling guilt suddenly drop into her body like a drop of ink into water.

"DO YOU HAVE GENUINE EMOTIONS FOR THE FEMALE?"

"I could! You know, she's got… pokemon too… and wears black…" Green stammered, and her mind shut down a bit. "Her dad wishes she was a boy." Wracking her mind turned up no more details. "She gave me this… cigar?"

"YOU DID NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION."

"Well, I could like her! You know, given time and stuff! Man, why are you even… bothering with this?! If I get my body back it won't even matter, right? This whole place will be gone!" Green yelled back, angry at this thing for heaping all of this heavy news about a world that was there just for a game concerning him.

"WE CANNOT UNMAKE GAME BOARDS. THE ECHOES YOU MAKE HERE WILL BE ON THIS BOARD FOREVER." It said in a voice that was calm and cool as a speaker.

Green mulled over that for a few minutes. "Um, what's one of your old boards?"

The air between the two shimmered. The suggestion of a spinning globe formed slowly, and when Green squinted into the depths, she could see black and white squares covering the surface. A variety of black and white horses, men in robes, and castles slid around endlessly. "Chess? You guys actually found someone who wished he was in chess?"

"WELL THEY WERE RATHER BIZARRE YOUNG MEN. NEVER ANY FEMALES. WE CALCULATED WITH SO MANY WISHING FOR THIS GAME WE WOULD HAVE A MUCH MORE DIVERSE BASE FOR MUCH LONGER"

"So, you're telling me that when I leave, what, the pokemon I take will go too?" Green asked sarcastically.

"OF COURSE NOT. SHOULD YOU FINISH YOUR GOAL THEY WILL OF COURSE REMAIN BEHIND. THE CONTINUITY MUST BE MAINTAINED."

"My goal! What the hell is my goal anyhow!?" Green asked, frantic now that the question formed in her mind. She has wanted to ask this of these creatures since that first one had left.

"THERE WOULD BE NO PURPOSE TO A GAME IF WE TOLD YOU WHERE THE GOAL WAS." It said coldly, and it began to fade away, all except for the eyes. "REMEMBER YOUR ACTIONS HAVE REPERCUSSIONS. YOU ARE POTENTIAL. LUCK TO YOU PIECE." And with those cryptic words the eyes snapped out of existence.

The Magikarp jumped out of the water and landed with a splash, startling Green out of her mental workings. Green looked around, shaking with a combination of rage, confusion, guilt and a bit of self-loathing. She kind of wanted someone to hurt, but there was nobody around even in sight. After a few minutes of silence, she walked slowly back to the hotel.

When Green got back Janine wasn't in her room, and she thanked her lucky stars. Now Green felt like a… rapist or something. It made her want to take a shower again. She wasn't sure how to even think of Janine anymore. With that, and dark thoughts without easy answers, Green and Rudolph eventually went to sleep.

Chapter 11-Fun and Fancy Free

A hand shaking her awoke Green with a snort. "Green, wake up! If we want to make the cruise we've got to leave soon!" Marta said jovially as she bustled around the room, picking up Green's things and storing them away neatly in her bag. "You go and take a shower and head downstairs. I got a packed lunch ready that we can eat while we walk."

Green blinked in the light. It shined painfully in her eyes and made her groan and turn away. "Why are you always so perky? And how did you get in here?" Green asked in a cracked trailing voice as she balled herself up.

"I also left you a glass of water." Marta said, still in the pleasant tone of voice. "You forgot to lock your door last night. Now hurry up! I'm going to go wake up Red." She bustled out of the room, leaving a cleaned up room behind.

Green groaned, but pushed herself up and out of bed with a heave. Stumbling to the bathroom, she gratefully stripped and took another shower, taking extra time on her dirty feet and using up every bit of the complementary soap. Walking out into the room with a long yawn, she got dressed slowly in a new set of clothes, putting her barely used set to a quick wash cycle in the washer/drier. Almost robotically, she took out the bottle of vodka from last night that she figured must have some left, but found it empty. Curiously she took out the next bottle and looked at it. The seal had been broken already, even though only a sip or two had been taken. Maybe the shadow thing had been right. That was a LOT of alcohol, especially considering that she was eleven after all. Carefully replacing the bottle, she decided that maybe she'd go without drinking today.

As Green made her way down the stairs, she could see that she was the last one. Janine looked the most tired besides herself, and Green felt a pang of renewed guilt. She avoided the gaze as she made her way to the bottom of the stairs. "Well, I guess let's get going! I guess we could use a few days of relaxation."

"I thought you'd be looking forward to the battling!" Red said enthusiastically, walking alongside Green eagerly as they left the hotel, and began the walk towards the south of town. "I hear they have a bunch of battling arenas below deck, and there's going to be trainers from all over! I'm gonna be there and at the buffets the whole time!" he said with a grin as they headed out of town and down towards the underground path that lead to Vermillion City.

Green nodded and smiled back. "Well yeah. I may spend some times in the hot tubs of course. Just to relax a bit." She said in what she thought was a light and friendly tone. It was only when she reviewed the words that she regretted them. Red was already blushing and avoiding her gaze.

"Yeah, maybe it would be good to relax a bit!" Red said back as he looked around wildly in the grass around them. "Hmm, I wondering if there'll be any pokemon on the way there?" he said, obviously to change the topic of conversation.

Janine suddenly appeared on the other side of Red, smiling pleasantly down at him. "Maybe you could look for some pokemon a little better if you went on ahead?" she suggested, with a pleasant smile on her face, showing all her teeth.

Red smiled back, a bit nervously, looked back to Green for a moment and sped up to a quicker trot without another word. Green looked up at Janine with a grin. "Hey… how's it going?

Janine smiled back. "It's going very well. I noticed you disappeared last night?"

Green nodded vaguely. "Yeah… I went walking around town. I was thinking about stuff. Hey listen, I wanna talk with you about last night." Green was dismayed to see Janine perk up and smile brighter. "I think I made a mistake last night and I want to apologize. I think I've been drinking too much recently. I'm sorry if I…" Green hesitated as Janine's face fell, and hardened into a thin line. "…led you on or anything. I was just… pretty drunk."

Janine was silent for a few minutes as they walked down the road. They watched without speaking as Red, far ahead of the party, sent out his Ivysaur against a Pidgeotto. "No, of course not. If anything I led you on. I'm the older one here. Can you just answer me one question?" she said, her expression cool and even.

"Sure. No problem." Green said, feeling nervous about this attitude in Janine.

"Is it one of the other two?" she asked in a whisper. She kept her eyes firmly on Green. "Is it? Or is it really because you were drinking?"

Feeling her mouth dry, Green looked back astonished. It was not the response she'd been expecting. "Of course not!"

Janine looked back for a moment, as if judging the expression on Green's face. Suddenly, she broke into a large smile. "I understand. I'm sorry this was awkward." Without a look back, she began walking towards Red, who was almost at the underground path.

Green breathed in and out deeply. That was not fun. Janine seemed to have gotten over it quickly, which was just proof that she wasn't. On the bright side, at least there was no huge awkward fight.

"Are you ok?" Marta asked gently as she walked up behind Green, who realized they must have left her behind by herself for a while.

"Yeah… yeah I'm fine. No complaints." said Green evenly, trying to put a casual expression on her face and increase her pace at the same time. "We'd better hurry, right?"

A hand on her shoulder stopped Green. Marta turned her around. "I know you like to be tough, but you don't always have to carry the world on your shoulders. You listened to me. I'll always listen to you too." And with a pat on the shoulder, Marta walked to catch up with Janine and Red.

Green looked back, and saw Janine looking at her with a long stare. As Marta caught up, her attention focused there and the two talked quietly on. Green sighed and released Charmeleon, who yawned and looked up at Green curiously. She scratched it on the head, and it grumbled in a contented sort of way. "Man, I wish I was just with you guys. This shit is complicated. Let's go see if there's more pokemon to catch."

They stopped for lunch inside the building leading to the underground path leading to Route 6, and eventually Vermillion City. Marta and Red were much more animated during the meal. Red let out his Pikachu during the brunch as well, and it played eagerly with a relatively indifferent Charmeleon. All around them there was a faint hustle and bustle as a few sparse people went to or from the underground path. Snorlax was let out and given the rest of the bottle of alcohol, and he drank it eagerly, giving Green a huge hug once it was finished. She had to return it to make it let go.

The walk through the path was just as silent for Green. Lights along the left and right walls shone with a dull florescent glow, putting a rather dismal edge to the silent trek. Finally, not being able to stand it any longer Green found herself walking up to Red, who was humming to himself as he walked at the head of the group. "So, do you think there's going to be a lot of trading going on during the cruise?" she asked brightly, if only for something to say.

Red smiled back. "I hope so! Wow, imagine if we can get a rare pokemon from one of the other lands!" he said, excited to hear enthusiasm in Green's voice.

"What pokemon are you hoping to find?" Green said politely, and for a while let him lead the conversation as he described all the different pokemon he wanted. She just had to smile or agree at the right moments, and as they all left the underground path Green even found herself joining in actively with the conversation. All things aside, she enjoyed talking with Red. Deep down she considered herself a man, and so it was good to talk with another guy, even if it wasn't quite the same as before.

"So, that's why you've gotta get a little more type differentiation on your team. Right now your team can get sweeped too easily. You gotta expect any type. I'm not saying that you'll fight a dragon type tomorrow or anything, but what if you do? You need something to take care of surprises they can throw at you. I mean, think about steel. If I came at you with a Kadabra right now what would you use against me?" Green said as they came out into the fresh air. Pikachu and Charmeleon followed lazily behind, Pikachu jumping around and making little "pika!" sounds as Charmeleon walked straight, his nose in the air. It seemed to be silently admonishing the electric rat for not being a bit more dignified.

Red thought about it seriously. "Ninjask. He's my fastest pokemon, and he hits pretty hard." He said confidently after a moment.

Nodding, Green conceded the point. "I was afraid you were gonna say Pikachu. When did you get a Ninjask?" She smiled.

Red laughed in a way that seemed just a bit pandering at the Pikachu joke. "Well, I caught Nincada in Viridian Forest. It evolved into Ninjask before we got to Mt. Moon."

"Did you capture Shedinja as well?" Green asked eagerly.

"Yeah, I've still got him here." Red said proudly, holding up a pokeball. "I'm saving him for the trading."

Green nodded encouragingly, and looked behind her for the first time in what she realized must have been fifteen minutes or more. Janine and Marta were talking, or more accurately Marta was talking and Janine was responding with one-word responses as she gazed lazily ahead. Green had a moment of renewed guilt before Red spoke.

"A pokemon!" he gasped as he pointed towards a shaking bush, which silenced at the sudden noise.

"Charmeleon!" Green barked, sending the lizard zooming towards the bush in a rush. It slashed viciously, sending leaves flying in a cloud. An Ekans reared back, hissing loudly at the sudden intrusion. "Dragon Rage!" Charmeleon's maw filled with white heat and it blew a line at the wild pokemon. Ekans tried to glare back, and it started to lunge, but Green's pokeball caught it on the nose. It didn't shake much before the light dimmed, and the ball disappeared.

"Congratulations! What did you catch?" Marta asked eagerly as her and Janine caught up.

"Ekans." Green said simply as she patted Charmeleon on the head. She grinned at the other two. "It's your turn if another pokemon comes up, girls."

Janine surprisingly smiled back. "If I catch something you like, just say so. I'd like an Ekans if you're not too attached."

Green smiled back, and she couldn't help but let a note of relief into her voice. "I'll be sure to do that." At least Janine wouldn't let this whole thing set off the atmosphere of the group forever. There was at least that.

The group continued on, and now it was like some unspoken taboo had been lifted. Once again they all spoke casually, and Green suspected that Marta had a bit of a discussion with Janine on the subject, something that made Green more grateful than she could say. When the group was challenged to a battle by a young couple, Janine even asked Green to fight with her. They fought with Zubat and Ralts, and won decisively. Even as Marta and Red congratulated them on the win, Green knew that the worst of the bad feelings was probably over.

Seeing that they still had a few hours before they needed to check in, they slowed down a bit on the way to Vermillion City, and now everyone had an eye out for wild pokemon. The group even separated a bit, scanning around hopefully whenever they encountered a tree or bush. Marta saw the first pokemon, and she threw a pokeball with an "eep!" at what turned out to be a Jigglypuff. Red caught a Meowth shortly after, and Janine even captured a Raticate that rushed out at her unexpectedly.

Everyone was in a generally good mood as they entered Vermilion City still a half hour earlier than expected, and instead of going for a late lunch headed quickly for the port instead. The line was a bit longer than expected, and there was a long period of time where they waited patiently in the slow-moving line as one group at a time was processed. Finally, as they got to the front amongst signs like 'all bags must be checked' and 'all dangerous items must be admitted to security.' The worker in the nice suit accepted the envelope Marta gave him solemnly, and viewed the tickets quietly for a moment. He perked up eagerly. "Ah, very good ma'am. Gentlemen?" he said, motioning to a few sailors who were standing about, moving bags. "Can you please help this young lady and her guests with their bags?" he asked the men politely as he handed them a small folded piece of paper.

As the sailors picked up their bags, the group had a moment to exchange a collective look of puzzlement. Nobody else in front of them had their bags carried up to the room, and everyone else had been treated with just a bit more cool disinterest. They had been treated like royalty in comparison.

Being led up through the ship by the two grumbling sailors, they got the opportunity to see a lot of the fineries the ship had to offer. A number of small food shops littered the place once they went below deck, and Green almost immediately saw a sign pointing to what was called 'The Arena Deck' that made her eager to get down there. Following the sailors into an elevator, they all got a good look down at the people milling about below as it slowly went up. There were a number of people in nice dress clothes, but there were also plenty of people who looked grizzled, covered with the sweat and dirt of the road. For just a moment Green thought she could see a familiar shock of white hair down in the crowd, but then the doors of the elevator opened up with a *ding* and everyone was piling out, and by the time she looked back it was gone.

Figuring that they must be on the wrong floor, because this whole hallway looked incredibly well-furnished, Green went along until they reached a door set into the left wall. The man in front put down Green's bag and opened the folded piece of paper he had been given, pulling out a small key card which he used to open the door wide.

As they stepped inside Green was prepared to admit that maybe she could allow herself to be pampered just a little bit. The main room was a large and plush one, with a long couch, small kitchen, flat TV set, computer in the corner and a basket of fresh fruit settled down on the counter. The door to the bathroom was even open, and they could all see the large gleaming tub. It could probably have fit all of them easily.

The men had put down their bags, and were turning a grin on the kids. "Well young masters, seein' as we got ya to your room I suppose we'd better be shovin' off. Just remember, no pokemon battlin' less ye're down on the Arena Deck in the proper areas. 'Sides that one minor rule, I trust young masters will have a wonderful stay" said the first man, as the two sailors grinned on cue and held out their hands for a tip.

"Yes indeed, thank you." Green said distractedly as she shoved them hastily out of the room, snatched the room keys out of the second sailor's hand and slammed the door. "I call the tub first!"

"This room is.... magnificent!" Marta said as she boggled at the kitchen. She opened the mini-fridge. "Oh my gosh, it's even fully stocked! I've got to write Bill a thank-you card at once!"

Green leaned in under Marta's arm and snagged a couple of beers with a delighted look on her face. "Yoink!" she came back for a jar of candy beans after a moment's pause, pushing aside a wide-eyed Red to enter the bathroom, already kicking off her shoes and whipping her belt off as she closed the door.

Green spent at least fifteen minutes in the bath, as she drank the beers languidly and let the tension seep away as the bubbling tub churned the foamy water around. The jellybeans were much better after the beers, and she happily snacked at them as she washed herself lazily. Finally, figuring that there would be plenty of time later for another bath, Green unwillingly pulled herself out and dried herself off. Even as Green entered the main room with a satisfied smile on her face, Janine swept past with a change of clothes, and the sound of rushing water filled the bathroom again. She walked easily over to the couch, sitting down in between Marta and Red as they flipped through the TV channels. The first few seemed to be dedicated to events on the ship, and there was a few minutes of comfortable silence as they all watched the events of the evening scroll past.

"Looks like the Arena Deck doesn't open until later on tonight. What is it anyhow?" Green asked curiously as she offered Marta the jar of candy beans.

Marta graciously took a few as she opened a booklet on the coffee table. "Serving your Pokemon fancies all throughout the cruise. Including six separate arenas, a trading bar, pokemon gift shop and of course the High Seas Tournament." she read in her pleasant voice.

"Tournament, eh?" Green said as she perked up. "So, they mention what the prize is?"

Smiling as she flipped to further in the book, Marta read for a moment. "A cash prize and a mystery pokemon. Oh, Green I hope you win. I'd love to see what the mystery pokemon is!" she exclaimed excitedly, dropping the booklet back onto the table. "I just know you're going to do great!"

Green couldn't help but smile back. "Well I'm going to have to try hard to beat you, right?"

Shaking her head, Marta picked up the booklet again and flipped to a new page. "I'm not as good at battling as you guys. There's a pokemon beauty contest on the Premier Deck though! I may enter Jeffy. There's a pokemon beauty center on another floor."

Thinking of what you'd do to a Gyarados to make it more presentable, Green got up to check the mini-fridge for more beer. Just one more, enough to enhance the good buzz she felt. There was a knock at the front door, and Green conscientiously put her beer out of sight before heading for the door. Marta somehow beat her to answering it, opening the door to a tall and smiling man in the crisp outfit complete with saber at the hip and white glossy hat that screamed captain. He even had a mustache you could lose loose change in. Green estimated his age at a glance to be mid-to-late thirties. He straightened up tall when he saw Marta. "Excuse me, miss! I'm just here to see you master Bill if you please? I heard the room had been occupied in the hour, and I do so love to see how the man is doing whenever he stops in. Ah, you must forgive me. I've been completely lacking in my manners, young lady. I am Captain Malcolm, the esteemed pilot of this cruiseliner." he said, bowing slightly.

Shaking her head, Marta spoke in a seriously regretful voice. "Oh, I'm very sorry but I'm afraid Bill isn't here. He just had an accident yesterday, and seeing as he was just put back into his body he gave us the tickets to the suite. I hope that's all right. I'm Marta, by the way." she said, flashing him one of her warm smiles.

The Captain looked crushed. "Oh, that's quite dreadful! I shall have to give him a call posthaste to see how he is faring!" his downcast look didn't last too long, because he turned a grin on Marta that made Green frown. His eyes roamed her body for a brief moment in a way Green had remembered doing as Rudolph, taking in the most of the body with a glance that might just have been you checking your own shoes or something. "Well, normally I ask Bill to dinner at the Captain's table the night of the departure. Perhaps you might consider joining me young lady?"

Marta's face fell, and she looked as if she didn't know what to say. She was apparently hesitant to turn down the captain of the ship, especially on such a kind offer. Then again guessing how much Marta seemed torn up about her boyfriend she probably didn't want some guy who could probably be her dad hitting on her.

Feeling unable for a moment to help Marta, Green finally thought of a way to assist her friend. She grabbed Marta's left arm with a big hug, and did her damnedest to look as cute as possible. "We'd love to go to dinner, wouldn't we, big sister?" she said, confident during every word that there must have been a better plan. Her lot was thrown, however. "Thank you, Captain!"

The Captain's face stiffened. He looked down at Green with an air of indifference. "And who is this… charming little young lady here?" he asked with a stiff smile.

"My name is Green, Mr. Condescending." Green replied at once, still in that cutesy voice.

Captain Malcolm nodded happily, but then frowned for a moment as if he had forgotten something. Obviously the man had reacted to the tone, not the words, and now his brain was rebuilding the sentence. He hesitated for a long moment before speaking further. "Yes, I suppose there's no harm in letting your sister come, of course." He said in a slightly annoyed tone of voice, which clashed with his normal calm and polite tone.

"And Janine and Red too right?" Green asked innocently as she looked up at the Captain. "They're our bestest friends! Why, we can't have the first meal on the ship without them!" she said, figuring that she may have overdone the sweetly innocent voice a bit.

The man turned a bit red in the face as Green grinned up at him. He glanced to Marta, who was smiling back in a vague sort of way. It was hard to guess what she was smiling at exactly. "Well… of course I'd never turn down the request of a lady." he mumbled as it became clear that the two smiling girls he was facing were not going to back down. He recovered his poise, and his face lost some of that red flush. "I shall be delighted if your entire group joins me in the Captain's Room of the ship's Crystal Dining Hall at eight this evening." and with another bow, the Captain turned and marched swiftly down the corridor.

After the door shut Green burst into laughter as she picked her beer back up and went to sit down on the couch next to Red. It had been mean picking on the guy like that, but he could take it. It couldn't be that bad taking advantage of her age if it was helping someone else.

"Hey Green, there's also a doubles tournament later on in the tour!" Red said excitedly, showing Green the booklet Marta had been using earlier. "I was thinking… that might be fun right?" he hazarded.

The door to the bathroom opened before Green could answer, letting out a gush of steam and Janine, who was still toweling off her hair slowly. She was wearing a loose grey shirt and pants, and her bare feet flopped on the floor as she came over to the couch to sit between Green and Red with a sigh of huge relief. "Oh, that was wonderful. This is going to be a great trip. Who's got the tub next?"

"Yeah, I guess I'll get ready if we're gonna eat with the Captain!" Red said, looking disappointed as he got up and headed for the bathroom.

Janine looked intrigued, and didn't seem to notice Red's dampened spirits. "We're eating with the Captain tonight? How did that happen?"

In the kitchen, Marta paused in pouring herself a ginger ale to speak. "I think he was trying to ask me out." she said as she took a sip. "I was nervous I was going to have to eat with him alone, but Green invited everyone else." Marta sat down in Red's old spot and gave Green a proud smile that made her feel quite embarrassed. "Thank you for that, Green."

Janine narrowed her eyes, and there was a moment where she looked from Green to Marta, as if trying to decide what they were both thinking. Green decided to change the subject. "Well, thanks. Janine, are you looking forward to the tournament?" she asked, perhaps a bit too cheerily.

Shrugging, Janine plucked the booklet of events off the table. "I may be. I don't know, this mystery prize pokemon sounds interesting." she said as she flipped through the thing nonchalantly. "Hey, there's a doubles tournament. You want to join that with me?" Janine asked, glancing at Green.

Green nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like fun. Red was just mentioning it earlier. We should go and train after dinner tonight. I need to get ready for the ship tournament anyhow" she responded casually, and couldn't help noticing that Janine brightened up considerably.

"So, we have dinner with the Captain tonight, eh? Nice dress then?" Janine asked casually as she stretched out languidly.

Marta nodded, looking excited. "Yes, I have a dress I brought just in case! What do you think you're going to wear?"

Janine considered for a few minutes. "Well… I do have a dress in storage I could get out I suppose. My old kimono." she said doubtfully.

Clapping excitedly, Marta looked as if her birthday had come early. "Oh, I know you'll look great! We should do something with your hair! Green, what are you going to wear?"

Feeling her eyes flick to her bag, Green stopped and thought that she had never really explored the clothes in the bag. There had been an extra pairs of pants and more underwear and suchlike, and since there had been a washer practically every other night there'd been no pressing need to delve into the rest of the packed cloth. She was sure there had been a skirt in there somewhere like a clothing landmine. "I don't know. I guess I'll have to check."

"Well, it's almost four right now. The Captain said to be there at eight, so why don't we take a walk around the ship for a bit after I take a bath, and then we can get dressed for the party! We should probably also claim rooms, come to think of it." Marta said, excitedly bustling around the room to grab her things before heading to one of the two doors set on the back wall.

Opening the first, they saw a nice little room with a view of the ocean. Two beds sat in the room at opposite corners. The second, to their dismay, had one large king-sized bed. There was a moment of frowning uncertainty as the problem was assessed.

"Well, I guess I'll just sleep on the couch or something." Green said. "There's gotta be extra blankets or something."

Both of the other girls frowned. "I'd feel awkward if you had to sleep on the couch and one of us gets that huge bed." Marta said doubtfully.

Janine nodded. "Well, I suppose two of us will just have to share the large bed," she said, and Green wasn't sure she trusted the grin on her face.

Nodding, Marta reached down and grabbed Green's hand. "Well, I suppose I won't mind. I'll share the large bed with Green. We technically did sleep together once after all. Let's go look through your clothes, Green!" she said, pulling Green behind her as Janine glared after them.

The next few minutes was spent sorting through the clothes. It looked at first like she had nothing dressy, but then with a sinking feeling Green saw Marta pull out a pink skirt. Tasteful white lace and a bit of dark red silk made it look like a particularly expensive cupcake. Even as Green heard herself weakly saying that she didn't have a shirt to go with it, Marta unearthed a white blouse and a pair of shoes with a triumphant smile. Even Green had to grudgingly admit it was the dressiest thing in the bag, and search though she tried she couldn't find anything a bit manlier. As Marta gathered up her things and went to bathe, Green thanked her lucky star that she didn't have to get in the cursed thing right away.

Green went out into the main room and sat down next to a scowling Janine as she flipped through the channels. Red was in the kitchen, searching through the pantries for a bowl which he used to pour himself some cereal. "Hey Red, where do you want to go when we walk the ship before dinner?"

He considered it slowly as he sliced a banana into his meal. "The Arena Deck." he said simply as he finished, and sat down on the couch.

"Aren't you going to ruin your appetite?" Janine asked casually as Red tore into the bowl. He preferred to ignore the question, finishing the flaked cereal quickly and downing the milk inside with every sign of enjoyment.

By the time Marta came out of the shower the three of them had all let some of their pokemon out in boredom. Ralts, Oddish and Pikachu were apparently playing some sort of undefined game of tag that they all just seemed to understand. Pikachu would touch Oddish, and both Pikachu and Ralts would shriek happily and run away from Oddish, who would chase them around until he bumped into one of the others. Then the touched pokemon would be it. Pikachu was best at the game, but he also game the other two pokemon a bigger head start. Marta smiled at the game, and wordlessly tossed a pokeball down as well as she took a moment from combing her hair. Jigglypuff appeared, looked at the other pokemon curiously, and sung until they all fell asleep. Then it went to sleep with a satisfied smile.

"Well that was fun." Green said as she returned Ralts. "So, let's go! I wanna see this arena deck."

Freshly clean, the group all headed out once Green had passed out the keys. They all got the chance to properly admire the décor of the ship on this trip. Once they reached the elevator they could even hear soft music floating up over the balcony edge, barely audible over the bustling of the crowd down below. As they rode down the slow, golden elevators they all found themselves watching something down below with an eager eye. Getting off the elevator, they spent at least a half hour walking down the main promenade, looking into the small but packed stores and into the small bars and food stores. People all around them were in a state of pleasant relaxation, and the sheer tide of positive empathy cheered Green up more than she could imagine. By the time they had gone from one end to the other, they were all exhausted from pushing through the sheer wall of wanderers, so they went down the Arena Deck by way of another elevator.

This floor, while not nearly as packed, nevertheless felt like it was buzzing with energy. While most of the people on the promenade had been dressed in nice clothing, or at least in normal clothing, the people down here looked dressed in every conceivable type of clothing. Just at a glance she saw people in heavy parkas, wearing mining gear or dressed in the red leather that marked them as a pokemon ranger. People also had pokemon out here, and all sorts were roaming behind trainers as they milled about. There were large double doors leading into what was called "The Battle Coliseum," but they looked firmly shut. There was also a large bar called "Interchange", which looked to be a modern art-style bar where people were sitting around, casually talking and sipping at coffee mugs or beer bottles. Even as Green watched two people, who each had a few pokeballs out, traded pokeballs after entering some information on their pokedexes. There were a couple of shops next to the bar, each focusing on pokemon accessories, and there was even a sandwich shop across the walkway called "Roly Poliwhirl" that was already serving a busy clientele. Next to the shop along the wall were PCs, each shining blue in the lights flashing down from the high roof here.

"Wow, this is awesome!" Red cried in amazement, releasing Ivysaur with a pleased look on his face. "Let's see if we can sign up for the tournament, Green!"

Releasing Breloom after a moment's hesitation, Green followed along after Red's quickly retreating form, motioning for Marta and Janine to follow. They all made their way through the churning crowd, following Red as they made their way to the large double doors, where most of the people seemed to be clustered. They saw why at once, because a small circle was open in front of the doors. On each there was a long sheet of paper, with a box full of pencils affixed on the divider between the doors. Red turned back to the girls and grinned widely. He broke through the wall of people and walked confidently to the doors.

Three men, all standing the closest to the door, closed in on Red at once. They all wore cheap black suits and had pokeballs on their belts, and they all looked at least six feet tall. Red halted against the sudden wall of black cloth. The only man with sunglasses, who was also the man in the front, adjusted them absentmindedly with one hand as he placed the other on Red's shoulder. "Hey there, boy. I think you were planning on turning back now that you've seen what the competition looks like, right?" he asked, in such an innocently casual voice that you might miss the fact that his hand was squeezing Red's shoulder tightly all of a sudden.

As Red's face twitched with the pain, Green could hear the snickering of many people in the crowd all around them. Frowning, Green could see that the tournament list already had a fair amount of people. Apparently people didn't care about some thugs if they were already signed up. Sweeping the crowd around her to the left and right with her eyes, Green could make out a few people with uncomfortable looks on their faces as they watched the exchange. From behind her Green felt Marta and Janine surge forward to help Red, but Green held them back. "Hey, I think Red's got this under control. Get ready to jump in if those thugs do. Got that, Breloom?" everyone nodded, and Breloom's eyes snapped to the two thugs standing behind their apparent leader. Its tail swished back and forth slowly as it narrowed its eyes.

"I think I'm very good, thank you. Please let go of my shoulder. I need that arm to sign the paper." Red said evenly, looking the man square in the eye as he spoke.

The man laughed, and looked behind him at his two grinning stooges. "Hey, this kid thinks I'm going to let go of his-" he began, but stopped as Ivysaur lashed out with a vine and caught the man's wrist. It jerked the hand violently off Red, and with a "Saur!" Ivysaur threw the man backwards at his friends, who caught him with an awkward two-person catch that sent them all sprawling.

The men had just got up, and the leader was still looking for his sunglasses as they turned to glare at Red, who was already signing up for the single person tournament. They glanced down nervously at Ivysaur, who was moving two vines around menacingly in front of him, ready to whip. "We got pokemon too, you know! We're gonna make you pay for that!" the leader yelled as they all pulled out pokeballs, and he screamed out loud in frustration. "Where are my damn sunglasses?!"

As the three men threw out pokeballs, Breloom was already leaping to land beside Ivysaur. The two glared back at the sudden Sentret, Magby and Glameow that appeared there. There was a quiet moment as Green broke away from the crowd, with Janine and Marta coming out shortly behind. Green was sure she could hear snickering in the audience again as the men glared daggers at her. She was wearing the sunglasses cockily on top of her head. For the audience, the joke had been flipped, but this way it was funnier.

"Give me those, you little bitch! I'm gonna tear yo-" the man began to yell, until a sudden sharp voice cut him off.

"You there! I hope you're not having an illegal pokemon battle AND slandering a young girl in THIS place!" yelled a booming voice that made nearly everyone jump, including the battle-ready pokemon. Through the crowd came a tall, bronzed and beefy man who was naked to the waist. He wore loose white pants fastened with a black cloth belt, and while he had no shoes he wore thick metal cuffs on his wrists. His hair was long, and a wild brown. Turning a glare around at the silent group around the door, he scowled. "What is going on?" he asked Janine, looking to her suddenly with a very serious expression.

"Hey look we were just talkin' to this kid and he went and…" said the man who lost his glasses, speaking fast and urgently.

"I did not ask for your story!" he snapped, glaring the man into silence.

"Who's that?" Green whispered to Marta.

Marta smiled down at her. "It's Bruno, of the Elite Four. He's the guest judge of the tournament this year. It's more of our good luck."

"Well sir these three men tried to scare this kid here into not joining the tournament." Janine said calmly.

Green saw the three men turn pale and begin sweating as Bruno turned to them slowly, cracking his neck. "I see. What do you have to say in response to this?"

Before the men could answer the Glameow, who had been hissing softly at Bruno ever since he walked up, sprung at his leg with a snarl. There was a moment where it looked as if the man was going to get bitten, but his hand lashed out and caught the thing on the side of the head, sending it flying towards the doors. It lay there, making soft mewling noises as it curled into a ball. "I am very sorry about that. I tend to react on instinct. Now, it seems to me that the three of you should return your pokemon and erase your names from the tournament list." Bruno said evenly, his tone emotionless.

The men glared back, but eventually they all returned their pokemon without a word, and one of the men solemnly went to the list and scratched out a few names. They left without another word.

"My name is Bruno. I will be judging the tournament, as well as attempting to keep an eye on things going on here. I have a room in the back of the sandwich shop to be near the action, and it's so small believe me I shall be out and about as much as possible. Now, sign up for the tournament if you want. I will know if there's more disturbances." He said again in his even voice, then turned and marched off without another word.

"Wow!" said Marta, looking blown away as if she had seen royalty. The other three were not as concerned, and Green was already scribbling her name on the sign-up sheet for the tournament.

"Hey Green? Remember the doubles tournament? Well, I was figuring that…" Red said quietly to Green as she wrote her name in the circle of quickly depleting silence caused by the trainer's wake.

"Green!" said Janine cheerily from the other door, making them all look over. "I signed us up for the doubles! Could you sign me up over there?"

"Sure!" Green said, signing Janine's name below hers with a moment's hesitation. She placed the pencil back, and turned to Red as people began closing in to sign their names. "What were you talking about, Red? The doubles tournament?"

Red rocked on the spot, looking conflicted. Finally, he shook his head. "No, it's nothing. Just wondering who you were teaming with." He said jovially, waving the comment away.

"Well, look who it is. Good to know I'll be fighting a couple of girls in the tournament." said a familiar and supremely boastful voice from beside them. Both Green and Red whipped around and saw Blue standing there, glancing at the list on the doors with a faraway look.

"We'll see who's laughing when the tournament ends! I've gotten a lot stronger than last time!" Red said back evenly, placing a hand on Ivysaur's head.

Blue looked down as Wartortle wandered up, and smirked. "Red, as far as I'm concerned until you man up Green is my only real opponent. Green, if we fight in the tournament you'd better be ready. We discussed the terms last time."

"I'll be ready." Was all Green said, though she wanted to shout obscenities. She opted for calm and cool. Breloom flicked its fail slowly as it watched Wartortle, who didn't look remotely intimidated by the taller pokemon.

Blue snorted, and turned to leave. Wartortle smirked and followed too, making a face at Breloom before it scampered off.

As Breloom fumed, Green snorted at Blue's retreating back. "Ah, screw him. We'll beat him for sure if he manages to make it through the tournament anyhow. Hey, let's go and check out the trading bar!" she said to Red, heading off after Marta and Janine who were already heading there. Red followed after a moment's hesitation.

Their excursion of the rest of the ship wasn't as eventful. The deck below the Arena Deck turned out to be the Relaxation Deck, 'Where People and Pokemon get Pampered!' said a sign. The floor has some people wandering to see the sights, but none of the shops were open. The dining halls were nearly empty of people and certainly empty of food, and by the time they had seen the various entertainments such as the casino they couldn't enter they had all worked up quite an appetite.

They finally went to their room, and everyone threw themselves into chairs even as Green collapsed on the floor, and enjoyed the feel of the soft carpet. "I'm so hungry… can't we just order food to be delivered here?"

Marta scowled down at her. "No, we certainly cannot. That would be very rude. It's almost seven thirty, we should probably get ready in about a half hour."

Green looked put upon. "Wha? But hey, we're not going to go out early, are we?"

Smiling, Marta looked at Green like she was crazy. "Of course we are! We need to give ourselves time to get there, and I'd like to go out on the deck now that the sun's gone down. We could get some drinks and watch as Vermillion disappears!" said Marta, already in a world of her own.

"Where are we going, anyhow?" Green asked curiously. "I mean, we can't be going far right?"

"I'm pretty sure that the cruise only goes from here to Olivine and back again. It's a short trip, really." said Janine casually from a chair near the bedroom doors. "Short and decadent."

With a grunt, Green sat up. "Johto? We're going to Johto?"

"Well it's not really that far away. Not like it's Sinnoh." Janine said casually.

"Maybe we can get off and look around Olivine while we're there." said Marta with an offhanded tone to her voice as she looked out of the window. She was still thinking of that night.

As Green considered the possibilities of what they could do at Olivine, it eventually came around to that time when they had to change. Grumbling, Green eventually was persuaded to go and put on her nice clothes by Marta. Rudolph remembered when he was a kid and his parents would make him dress up for church. This felt a bit like that, as Green put on an outfit that felt wrong to her. The skirt didn't go down far enough to cover the bottom of her legs, and she had the bizarre feeling of air all the way up her unclothed thighs. The worst part, however, was coming out with the thing on and having Marta squeal that she looked adorable. Green stood there without her hat as Marta bustled around her, checking the outfit to make sure everything was in place.

"I think I have a ribbon you can wear in your hair too!" Marta was saying with what should have been, in Green's opinion, an illegal amount of excitement. "I'm going to go get changed right now."

"No, I'm drawing the line at the bow in my hair." Green said firmly. "I'm only keeping the dress on until I get back from the dinner tonight." She plopped down on the couch next to Red, who was already dressed in khaki pants and a nice, button-down red shirt. His hat was missing and he looked just as awkward and out of place as Green felt.

Smiling weakly at Green, Red spoke up. "Hey, you look nice. I haven't seen you in a skirt in a while."

"I don't wear skirts unless I can possibly help it." She said through clenched teeth. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly and then smiled at Red. "Sorry I'm not angry at you. I'm not big into skirts anymore. Where's Janine anyhow?"

Red smiled back a bit warily. "She's getting changed in our room. Um… I didn't know I'd be staying with her." He said, in a hesitant way that told Green he had been decided to even bring this up or not.

"Do you not like Janine?" Green asked curiously.

"No, no, it's not that of course. She's nice and all… I've just never stayed in the same room as a girl before."

Green nodded. "Well, you were going to sleep in the pokemon center back at Mt. Moon and there were girls there?"

"That's different. I was in there when Janine told me to get out… she started to take off her shirt…" he trailed off, blushing hugely as he looked away from Green.

It took Green a moment to understand. She kept forgetting Red was eleven. He'd probably never seen a pair of bare tits before, let alone some girl with her shirt fully off. Young Rudolph had seen nude women at eleven, but then again Young Rudolph had been a bit of a perverted weirdo kid that had discovered the joys of Playboy perhaps too early in the back of his father's closet. "Well, I'm sure it won't be so bad. It's only for a few nights, after all."

Green said as cheerily as she could manage. Red nodded glumly.

Marta came out first, dressed in a sleek black dress that hugged her form well, and cut along the right leg. Her dark green hair was up in a bun, and her glasses sat atop it. She blushed and asked softly, "how do I look?"

Green gave her a big thumbs up and a smile. "You look great. It compliments your figure."

Nodding vaguely, Red blinked at Marta. "Yeah, you look real pretty!" he chimed in with a stupid grin on his face. Green couldn't help but grin too at his reaction. Marta certainly had some impressive measurements, and this dress did nothing but accentuate them. Judging from the way Marta blushed a deeper red, she wasn't too comfortable with people noticing her in that way.

Janine came out of the other room before they could comment further. Her hair was teased up in a stylish way, but her kimono was what really drew the eye. It was a beautiful white and purple affair with blue designs all throughout. She turned on the spot to show everyone. "What do you think? My dad got it for me last year." She shuffled her feet, which were fitted with a pair of raised wooden shoes.

"It's magnificent. You wear it very well." Green said graciously, giving her a warm smile. Janine locked eyes and smiled back.

"Yeah, it's a neat robe!" said Red encouragingly with a nod.

Janine glared at him for a moment before turning to the other two. "Well, are we going to go above for some drinks and one last view at land or what?" she asked the room brightly.

Getting onto the deck wasn't too hard. The guests had finally started to filter out into the ship as a whole, and getting from point A to B wasn't so much of an issue anymore. There were a fair amount of people clustered about, getting drinks and snacks from two bars set up on the deck. Green quickly went over and snatched a few mixed drinks, and scurried back to the group before anyone could comment. Giving one to Marta, Janine and Red each, Green had a moment to drain half her drink in one go. "Ah, must be pineapple juice. Excellent."

As the girls drank, Red looked hesitantly at his own drink. He sipped it curiously as he followed along to a nice position to view the ocean, and the twinkling lights that was all that could be seen of Vermillion City. There were a few minutes of calm silence except for the gentle splashing of the ship and the murmur of voices around them.

"Marta? Is that YOU Marta?" came a high, jovial voice from behind their group. They all turned to see a young man about an inch or two shorter than Marta in a crisp dark blue suit. He had skin even more bronzed than she did, and his hair was pure black. Framing his brown eyes were a pair of gleaming gold rimmed glasses. He walked up to their group evenly and smiled all around before focusing on her evenly. "How have you been? I heard you had travelled to Pewter. I admit I am surprised to see you out here on the high seas."

"Francis!" Marta gasped, and looking over to her Green could see a blush rise to her cheeks. One arm contentiously covered her cleavage. "Yes, I've been fine! We got tickets for the ship from a friend that we helped out."

"I see! What floor are you on?" Francis asked eagerly, and smiled wide as Marta read it off to him. "Why that's fantastic! We're on the same floor! I must stop by to say hello at some point!"

Marta's astonished look had turned into one of skeptical hope, but now it fell into a frown. "We?"

Francis turned around as a woman walked up behind him and offered him a glass of champagne. "Oh. I suppose I should have mentioned. I was sure I had. At any rate this is Marie" he said, and he must have realized he finished a bit lamely because he diverted his eyes from Marta and looked to Marie to clink glasses before they drank.

Green eyed Marie disdainfully. She was eyeing Marta up like a cat, and her smirk at Marta's discomfort was enough to send Green's teeth grinding. Marie was, without a doubt, older than Marta. While Marta looked her perky 18 or so years of age Marie looked as if she was at least 25. She had the fair skin and shining auburn hair of someone who has never done a moment of work in her life. She had a bottle in the hand not holding her champagne flute, held loosely.

"I see." Marta said quietly after the long pause, and her voice sounded flat and wavering. Green thought she looked about to cry at any moment.

"Are you entered in the tournament tomorrow? I heard Marta say you were quite the battler." Green found herself asking, moving herself smoothly between Marta and Francis.

Francis smiled down at her evenly just as Marie scowled at her, and there was a moment of polarity so strong Green couldn't help smile. "Yes I am, young lady. I hear the prize pokemon may be an Eevee, and I do need a Vaporeon for my team. Why do you ask?"

"I wanna make you a bet. If I get further than you in the tournament then you have to apologize to Marta. A real apology, on your knees and everything." Green snapped, her anger magnifying as each word only widened the grin on Francis' face.

He shook off Marie and cocked his head slightly to the side. "Can I then choose the stakes if I get further in the tournament?" he asked, and not seeing any objections went on. "If I win then you have to lick my shoes clean." Francis said, and there was a wicked, challenging look in the eyes behind the glasses now.

"Ok… that's fine with me." Green said, a bit weirded out by the suggestion.

"Of course we also have to wear the same clothes as today…" Francis went on evenly, tapping his chin.

Green went white. "What?"

"These are new shoes, girl! I've got to get them a nice film of dust by tomorrow for a proper cleaning." He said, and glanced at Marie with a faint smile before continuing. "And of course if I'm going to have you lick my boots I want you doing it in that delicious little outfit, miss…?"

Marie shrieked with laughter as if Francis had said the most amusing thing possible, and Green was suddenly the one who was blushing. "Green. In that case you have to lick my shoes if I win too. It's only fair." Green added, a bit weakly in the circumstance.

"If you'd like. It'd be a pleasure if you managed to get that far." Francis said evenly, and wrapped an arm around Marie's waist. "Come. Let's retire to the room. We'll order in tonight."

"Of course dear." Marie purred back, and her voice was deep and sexy. It even made Green shiver with goose bumps. Part of Green couldn't blame Francis for going with this chick. Her body was frankly smokin' and Green didn't need to see the faint line of a g-string through the dress to tell her that this girl was probably a bit of a slut. Marta was indeed beautiful but she didn't have the mentality to be sexy, and Green guessed that she probably didn't put out easily. Marie was practically humping his leg. "Let's get an extra bottle of champagne and some seafood." She said as she turned to look at Marta. With a thrust, Marie passed over the bottle. Marta took it numbly. "Why not drink a little, dear. On us." She said with a wry smile.

The two wandered off through the crowd, and those same shrieking laughs came from their direction. Green turned to look at Marta, who was looking after them with tears sliding down her face and her shoulders heaving with the withheld sobs. Green wrapped her arms around Marta and just held her for a few minutes, gently taking the bottle from her hand and placing it on the ground gently as Marta cried. Green looked over at Janine, who looked sympathetic, and Red, who looked a bit bewildered but mostly angry. "Marta, Green, I promise if I fight him I will not lose." He promised, glaring at the place in the crowd where he had disappeared off to.

Janine patted Marta on the shoulder. "He was an asshole, girl! You're better off without him." She said gently, giving it a squeeze.

Smiling at Red for a moment with weary eyes, Green finally got Marta back to a steady state with whispered words of comfort and gentle rubs on the back. At last Marta was pushing gently away from Green and wiping her eyes with her hand. "Thank you. I'm just a big baby when it comes down to it. I know I shouldn't care. That was our old substitute teacher from back at our last year at finishing school" she said shyly, saying this last part as if it was no big deal.

The three of them stared at her. "She what? Are you telling me some teacher checked out a 17-year old rich kid and waited a year until he matured? And now she's riding him out, pretty much literally?" Green asked, watching Marta's face carefully.

Marta's face twitched, and she looked annoyed. "Well, now that you say it like that… yes. Yes! That's exactly what it's like. That's exactly what's it's like! Why that little…!" she yelled, balling her hands into fists.

Green patted her on the shoulder, and picked up the bottle of champagne with the other hand. "Well, I think we have a way to get over it. Looks pretty expensive" she said calmly, taking Marta's glass and filling it up.

Marta hesitated, but as Green filled both her own glass as well as Janine's and even Red's after it was proffered a couple of times to the hesitant boy, they all drank the fizzy liquid. Everyone sat for a moment, letting the stuff slide into their bellies, and then Green poured another round.

As they threw the bottle away and headed inside and towards their dinner, the champagne had certainly lightened the mood. They all walked with high spirits, and Marta was even giggling a bit at the small jokes Green threw out. Once they reached the Crystal dining room they were led to the Captain's dining hall, and going inside they found a wonderful table set for six. They all took the four seats along the sides of the oval-shaped table, leaving the head and foot of the table open. They didn't have to wait long until the Captain came in, going over maps with one of the sailors before dismissing him, and sitting down with a smile at his guests. To his right was Marta, with Green next to her, and to his left Red with Janine next to him. He smiled over at Marta with an expression of eager anticipation. "Ah, young lady. You look quite exquisite this eve. I do hope you don't mind, but I invited someone to dine with us tonight" he said, nodding at her. "Perhaps we can peruse the menu as we wait."

A waiter came smoothly out of a door in the side wall, which was a smooth blue sliding door. He passed out menus, and took drink orders from the rest of the table before coming up to the Captain. "Ah, of course. Please, take out one of the bottles off my personal rack. Miss, would you like a drop of wine?" he asked in a husky voice.

Marta looked good natured, and smiled. "Oh, sure! I'll try some wine!" she said with a carefree attitude, and as the waiter zoomed off Green found herself frowning at the triumphant expression on the Captain's face.

A knock at the door of the dining room put the Captain on his feet. Taking off his hat and smoothing down his hair, he wandered to the door into the dining room and paused to study himself in the mirror before he went to open the door. Green had expected to see Bruno there, but instead she was surprised to see a tall woman with pale blue hair pulled up to frame her face well. She took off a cape, which the captain took graciously, and entered the room quietly as she took her chair. The woman was wearing a tight blue outfit with large black shoulder pads that looked oddly out of place on her slender form. She nodded at the Captain as he sat down, and glanced around the table. Her eyes locked on Green's, and there was a moment where the two stared at each other. She looked away to gaze loftily around the table. "Greetings. I am Dragon Master Clair, Gym Leader of Johto's Blackthorn Gym. I apologize for interrupting such an… intimate little gathering" she said with a brittle smile that told the room she didn't find anything funny.

The Captain laughed faintly as he sat down in his spot. "Yes, well, it turns out that Bill has been taken ill, and so I invited his young guests to a dinner. I do apologize if it seems rather informal. I am Captain Malcolm, and I…"

"Not at all. I love dining with any group of ragamuffins you'd care to bring along." Clair said with such sarcastic cheerfulness that it made Green flinch and glare directly at her.

Green got up out of her seat, never losing eye contact. The Captain watched in horror, as if watching his career soaring out the window. "Excuse me, but if I've got to dine with this cunt I don't think I've even got an appetite" she said, making sure not to blink.

Clair watched for a long minute as the room stayed quiet. Finally, as Green was beginning to feel her eyes dry out, Clair smiled hugely. "I'm impressed. Nobody usually says anything. It's quite boring. What's your name?"

"Green" said Green, feeling as if the conversation had taken a sudden turn from a dangerous alley onto a sunny freeway unexpectedly.

"Green. Tell me about yourself, Green. Are you a Pokemon Trainer?" Clair asked, clasping her hands as she rested her hands on them. She looked intrigued.

The desire to be an asshole slipped away as part of Green went into auto-pilot. That suddenly questioning look on Clair's face had thrown her off. She sat back down as her drink was brought, and she answered evenly. "Yes, I've got two badges. I'm going for three when we get back."

"How wonderful! You must have just turned eleven, maybe twelve? My, I can remember those times." Clair said fondly as she accepted a menu from the waiter without even looking at him. "You must tell me of your team."

"I must recommend the boiled Shellder! It happens to be my favorite dish on the menu" said the Captain suddenly in a voice that was trying to be jovial while also trying to steer the conversation back. The glare he received back from Clair and Green silenced him, and he spent the rest of the time trying to converse with a reluctant Marta while Green and Clair laughed and whispered together.

As they waited for their meals, Green found herself in a rapt conversation with the Johto Gym Leader, who just couldn't seem to get enough of what Green had to say. Every now and then the Captain would interject a comment, only to get a dry, one-word response from Clair. When the bottle of wine came to the table Green thought she was going to have to watch and make sure Marta didn't drink a lot, but it turned out that Clair helped out with that too. She requested the bottle, and poured herself a generous helping. Unlike Marta, who sipped at hers, Clair attacked her glass even as they got their salads. By the time she was done her first glass her salad was only half done.

Captain Malcolm excused himself after his salad to see to a matter with the ship. Clair watched him leave, and smiled at Green wickedly. "So, tell me. Why are you really here anyhow? Not that I'm not enjoying this of course."

"Well, he was trying to sleep with my friend Marta here" Green said, motioning to Marta who smiled in a bashful way and nodded. "So, I acted cute and guilted him into inviting all of us because we're all bestest friends."

Clair's laughter made her put her glass down for a moment as her shoulders shook. "Delightful! Oh, I've been very rude. Your friends look bored!"

Following Clair's gaze Green saw Red put aside his pokedex. He looked annoyed for a moment, as if something was playing on his mind. Janine looked a bit more polite about her boredom, but it was obvious that they had been ignoring the rest of Green's group. "Hey, I never introduced my friends! This is Red, Janine and of course Marta. We're all going for the pokemon league challenge."

Clair nodded all around at them all, and smiled wanly. "I'm sorry I'm monopolizing your friend here. I just get so… tired with these stupid official dinners. They're so boring. It's nice to have someone who talks plainly to you. Being a Gym Leader and a Dragon Master means I'm never left alone, especially here" she said a bit bitterly as she downed her glass, and motioned for the bottle to be passed over. Green handed it over, and Clair eagerly poured herself another glass. "I have to be leaving sometime tomorrow. As soon as we're in flying distance of Blackthorn in fact. I'm glad I got eat dinner with your group here. Normally I try being as much of a nuisance as possible because it's the only way to have any fun at these dinners."

"Miss Clair?" Red asked curiously as he seemed to visibly become more comfortable here. "Sorry if I'm being rude, but can you tell us some stories about being a Dragon Master? I've never met a real one. I've just heard of Drake once."

"Drake?!" Clair laughed back, grinning at Red widely. "Oh, I could tell you some stories about him. He's my cousin, you know! He trained at my gym when he was a lot younger. Member of the Elite Four. Hah! You know he wet his bed once the first week of training?" she asked with a wicked grin on her face at the disbelieving expressions on their faces. "Oh, you thought that never happened, did you? I'll have you know there's all sorta of times where famous pokemon masters have…"

Nodding, Green didn't say anything. She had found it was the best way. Clair had a lot to talk about, and Green got the feeling she didn't speak to many people very often. She didn't talk like someone who was desperate for company however; instead she simply spoke continuously, like she hadn't found anyone to talk these things over with until now.

Shortly after the Captain got back the food finally came. Everyone looked to have ordered a different dish, and after watching the Captain put his fork to his food everyone else seemed to have been given the a-ok. Everyone tucked into their food, the Captain scowling down at his plate as Clair included everyone else at the table in her talk now.

It was about halfway through the meal when the first incident occurred. The Captain was enjoying his Shellder most emphatically when suddenly there was a rumbling from his stomach that was so loud it made everyone pause in their meals. He smiled, and with a hand to his stomach apologized. "You must forgive me, I seem to have quite the noisy stomach at the moment" he said casually as he wiped his sweating forehead with his handkerchief.

Ten minutes later there was a grumbling that had a definite watery edge to it. The Captain groaned. Everyone looked at each other a bit nervously, and edged their chairs away from him slightly. The man was sweating like he was in a sauna now, and his face had taken on the waxy pallor of someone near death. He managed to look up at them all, and smiled weakly. "Um… if you'll excuse me… I think I must retire. I… oh my." The last words were followed by a gout of vomit so sudden and intense that everyone barely got out of their seats in time.

Clair was the only person who stayed seated, and it splattered far from her plate. Nevertheless, with a scowl, she took out her napkin, dabbed at her lips and sighed. "Well this dinner is over then."

"Is there no chance at all of a dessert or something?" said Red in a disappointed voice as he looked at his puke-covered steak.

"Sidney!" yelled the Captain, slumping back in his chair and covering his eyes. "Gods damn you Sidney you get in here right now and you bring me more pills!" he bellowed, turning to the side and throwing up again.

A tall, lanky sailor came in and paled at the spectacle before him. "Oh my, Captain! I thought you had your condition under control!"

"Well, this was fun but we really must be going." Green said as fast as she could as she pushed everyone towards the door. "Please do tell us if you feel better!" She didn't stop pushing until everyone was outside, and Green slammed the door with a sigh of relief. "Wow, what a downward slide."

Clair snorted. "The old fool takes pills for his seasickness. Judging from the comments in there he probably forgot them or mixed up his dosage I'll wager." She turned and smiled down at Green impishly. "Well, since I now have time to kill, could I ask you a favor?"

Nodding slowly, Green's brow furrowed as she considered. "Of course. What's up?"

Turning away with a smile, Clair led them out of the Crystal Dining Room, where people were already whispering and looking towards the Captain's dining hall as faint curses wafted through the air.

She led them out and down some hallways, eventually coming to a door that she opened with a card down a corridor not far from the promenade. Inside was a room much smaller than theirs, but still elegant. Judging from the nice furniture and prime location, Green guesses this was probably a room reserved in case individuals like Clair showed up demanding a room for the night. She seemed like the kind of woman that would have one hell of a temper if she was told she'd have to sleep in a back room like Bruno.

Turning around to face Green, she crossed her arms stubbornly and planted her feet. "Show me your best pokemon. If it's too big to fit the room just say so."

Flummoxed, Green silently released Charmeleon, who looked around curiously until meeting Clair's eyes. The two had a bit of a staring match for a moment, and then Clair reached out and grabbed Charmeleon's head in one hand and used the other to pull the gums up a bit. Charmeleon started to thrash but Clair whispered something soft and soothing into its ear, calming it down and letting her finish the checkup.

Clair finally got up with a nod, and gave Charmeleon a treat. "I'm very impressed. Your Charmeleon is in excellent health. Fit as a fiddle" she went on evenly as she rummaged in a bag. "I had hardly any doubts, but I had to make sure. Green, I want to give you something."

Boggling at this bizarre generosity, Green could only blink in confusion as Clair took out an egg the size of a basketball, pulled into an oval shape. She hefted it for a moment, and then handed it to Green. "Obviously, it's an egg. I received it from a friend in Mauville City. I just don't have time to watch over eggs at the moment. There's a slew of duties to take care of back home. Why don't you take care of it for me? If you don't mind that is."

Taking the egg eagerly, Green grinned widely at Clair. "Of course not! Thanks! Um, why are you entrusting me with this though?"

"You remind me of myself at your age. You have such passion in your actions! Your Charmeleon is also incredibly loyal. Most probably would have tried to bite at once when I checked their teeth, but yours only tried to pull away, and relented when she saw that you were alright with me." Clair explained.

There was a compliment that went almost completely over Green's head as she latched onto a fact. "Charmeleon's a girl?!"

Charmeleon turned a severe look on Green, and Clair burst out laughing again. "I suppose I'm not surprised. I guess that was the last thing on your mind, right?"

Turning a sheepish look to Charmeleon, Green shrugged helplessly. "It never crossed my mind I guess. She was just always dependable. Plus, how can you even check that?" Green asked, looking puzzled.

Patting Green gently on the shoulder, Clair led her back to her friends who were all clustered around the door. "I'm sure there's something on your pokedex that could help you. I know we'll meet again!" Clair shook Green's hand, and smiled coldly this time. "If you come to challenge my Gym in Blackthorn, I will not take it easy on you. I hope that both of you ladies do not give me measure to doubt you" she said softly, and with a nod to both Green and Charmeleon turned back towards the door. "I must prepare for the flight tomorrow morning. I will send word along that the Captain has taken ill."

"I'm not going to disappoint you at all, you know. Even considering that I might would just be foolish. The next time you see me you won't even recognize me." Green said in a cool and level voice that felt completely true to her.

Clair made eye contact before she shut the door. "I certainly hope so."

The rest of the night turned out to be far less exciting. News of the Captain's illness had spread throughout the ship, and now people were adding in details in the way of gossipers. "Have you heard that he's had to be airlifted out?" and "Did you hear he coughed up a whole lung?" were among two of the most popular questions they were asked, though just as many people seemed to discount the story of the sickness as a tall tale. While waiting in the elevator to get back to their room one old woman said how she heard the captain just had a touch of diarrhea, and how it was terrible the rumors being spread on the ship.

Once they all got back to the room there was a bit of time spent simply admiring the egg. It was a light brown, like those farm-grown eggs one would buy at the store. They all spent some time excitedly guessing what lay inside, but after a little while of discussion Marta began drifting off to sleep even as she tried to follow the conversation. Taking this as a good excuse to go to bed, Green gently led a dozing Marta to their room as she waved good night to Red and Janine. Charmeleon lifted her head to follow Green for a moment, but laid back down after a moment's hesitation.

As Green closed the door behind them, Marta sighed and turned her back to Green. "Could you please unzip this for me?" she asked, motioning to her dress.

Green hesitated, but just for a moment. She came over, grabbed the zipper and helped Marta slide her dress off. Marta stretched there in her pink matching bra and panties for a moment, and then climbed into bed with a satisfied look on her face. Green had frozen, and wondered what to do now. Marta's underwear didn't exactly… cover things adequately. There was a few moments where Green hesitated on the edge of the bed, watching Marta turn slowly and face her. "What's wrong, Green? You look like you've got something on your mind" she said pleasantly and invitingly.

Green slowly got dressed in her pajamas and got into the bed, staring at the ceiling before answering. Though the fact that Marta was sleeping next to her in so little clothes was primary on her mind, there was an issue less immediate that she felt she must still address. "I do. I'm afraid if I talk with you about it you'll get angry though."

"It's about Francis, isn't it?" Marta asked, and her voice had lost that pleasant tone. Marta had obviously been dreading this talk.

"Yes. Tell me Marta, and be honest. If he came up to you tonight, begging to be forgiven, you'd take him back wouldn't you?" Green blurted, looking Marta directly in the face.

For a moment Marta actually glared back at Green, but eventually she lowered her eyes, and looked miserable as she whispered her response. "Yes."

Green found her hand stroking Marta's hair almost absentmindedly. The older girl didn't flinch away from the touch, only smiled faintly as silent tears rolled down her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Green found herself muttering, feeling horrible for even bringing it up.

"No, it's ok. I know I'm a bit… dumb about Francis. I guess I just always thought that we'd be together. He was always saying that. He's just…" Marta tried to explain, sitting up and dislodging Green's hand. "I just don't know what to think about him."

Thinking hard about every word, Green spoke slowly. "Well, let me ask you. Has he always been faithful? Has he ever been with other girls while he was supposed to be with you?"

Blushing, Marta looked down at the sheets and drew on them absently with her finger. "Well... I mean yes. We were technically separated at the time though."

"I'm not surprised. Look, I'm gonna assume here that he's broken up with you a few times." Green said, and went on when she heard no objections. "I'm also gonna tell you why I think he keeps leaving you. It's because he CAN, Marta. You're reliable, and he sees that in you. You're the kind of girl that he can break up with, knowing that you'll be there waiting for him."

"But why would he even do that?" Marta asked, tears spilling onto the sheets. "I mean, is it something I'm not…"

Green grabbed Marta's shoulders and spun her so they were face-to-face. Marta looked astonished, but Green still spoke fiercely. "You listen to me. I just told you he breaks up with you to go be with some floozy and get back with you. You then asked me what you were doing wrong. You did not do ANYTHING wrong Marta. That guy is a weasel, and he's probably only with that other girl because she can fuck like a mountain lion. I guarantee you if he wasn't supplying bottles of champagne and a luxury room for them to fuck in she wouldn't even give him the time of day! And as soon as that happens he's gonna come back to you, because you're going to be so grateful he's back that you won't ask too many awkward questions, will you?" Green demanded, never breaking stern contact with Marta's eyes.

Eventually, Marta subsided, and fresh tears sprung up in her eyes. "No… I never did before…" Marta said with a tone to her voice that told Green she'd apparently never thought about it before either. "What's a mountain lion?"

"A Persian. Whatever. Look…" Green said in a much gentler tone of voice. This hadn't meant to be an emotional bonfire. "I'm not trying to tell you how to think of Francis. I don't know how he is when he's with you or anything. All I'm saying is that he seems like a taker and not a giver to you. I don't want to watch you become someone's second choice just because you can't see he might be a jerk." As Green reached up and wiped the tears off Marta's face, there was a moment of calm silence. "You don't have to say anything. Just think about it, alright? We should probably get to bed anyways. I've gotta train for the tournament tomorrow when we wake up."

Marta's hands flew up to her mouth, and all of the other emotions were swept aside by concern. "Green, you can't agree to that deal with Francis! What if he beats you?! Please, I'll go to him tomorrow and apologize, and you won't have to… I mean, licking his shoes clean!"

Standing up on the bed, Green balled her hands into fists and spoke through clenched teeth. "If you go to him tomorrow behind my back I don't want to see your face again!" Marta gasped in shock, and Green went on, flexing her fingers. "I hope I fight him tomorrow, I really do. I am going to make him apologize to you or I am going to lick his shoes, but one way or the other you are NOT going to apologize to HIM!"

The door opened, and Janine stood there with Charmeleon behind her, both looking into the room. Green had a moment to reflect on how they must look, Marta kneeling on the bed in her underwear and Green standing above her without pants. Everyone stared around for a moment in embarrassed silence. "Um, hey Janine. How's it going?" Green asked in a faux casual voice.

"Well, I was laying next door and I couldn't get to sleep." Janine said brightly. "Red snores like a chainsaw. Can I sleep with you guys?"

Green looked suspicious for a moment. Red was asleep already? She put her ear to the wall, and heard what Janine was talking about at once. A growling snore could be heard faintly, and Green had to concede that it was probably louder inside. "Wow. Yeah, sure I guess" she said as she plopped down on the bed from her standing position and scooted closer to Marta, who also graciously moved over.

"By all means!" Marta said happily as she wiped her eyes.

Janine also took off the pants she was wearing and crawled in bed next to Green, sighing hugely and turning onto her stomach. "Thanks. I promise I won't be a bother."

Charmeleon, who had come into the room as well, curled on the floor near the bed and flicked her tail lazily. The shadows in the room danced as Green felt Marta tuck in closer and heard her fall asleep slowly. To her other side, she could feel Janine take her hand. She didn't fight it, if only to fall asleep without more drama.

The next morning Green was the first one awake. Marta had an arm draped around her, and Janine still had the hold on her hand. The sheer body heat of the two larger girls was making her sweat slowly. She managed to squeeze herself out and headed for the bathroom with a sigh, dropping off her clothes from the previous day into the washer/drier before she went inside.

The bath hadn't been going on too long before Green heard voices from outside that made her speed up her bathing a bit. Dressing in another pair of pajamas, she exited the bathroom to find Marta and Janine sitting on the couch, both crouched over a menu and discussing it quietly. They both smiled at Green as they saw her exit the bathroom, and Green had another one of those sinking feelings as Janine glared at Marta for a moment. Charmeleon, who was eating some of the pokemon food balls out of a bowl, looked up happily to see Green.

"Green! Good morning! We ordered breakfast!" said Marta in her normal gushing voice.

"We need to go train once we're done eating. I reserved us a battling room for this morning. And if you'll excuse me…" Janine said happily, smiling at Green before hurrying into the bathroom. The bath softly hissed to life a moment later.

Red eventually joined Marta and Green, rubbing his eyes, and was next to use the bathroom without saying more than a grumble through his sleepiness. After Marta had also showered the food was delivered, and the four of them spent a quick and silent few minutes scarfing down the food before they all packed up. Green very reluctantly took out her outfit from the previous day and put it on, trying not to think of how humiliating it would be to lose in these clothes. By the time Green got the ensemble on, everyone else was ready to go out in the front room. Green returned Charmeleon as she followed everyone out and towards the elevators.

The Arena Deck was less packed than yesterday, but the buzz of activity was just as loud, as people laughed and talked loudly all over. Some people were discussing things with other trainers, others buying from the stores, but everyone seemed to be waiting for something to happen, most likely the tournament. A huge board had been affixed to one wall since yesterday, with about a hundred slots on one side that led eventually down to one slot. This must be where they would put the names of the people fighting in the tournament. Janine grabbed Green's arm as she lagged behind looking at the board, and brought her to the Battle Coliseum's large double doors that everyone had been crowding around the previous day. Two tables were set near the door, one with a huge line in front of it that said "Walk-Ups" and one that said "Reservations" with no line. People grumbled all down the line as they walked calmly up to the Reservations desk.

The woman sitting at the desk smiled warmly. "Hello, do you have a reservation for a field?"

"Yes, Janine, four people. We requested it for an hour." Janine said promptly.

The woman typed quickly into a notebook computer she had on the table. "Of course. Right on time! You folks will be on field eight. Someone will be along to remind you when you have ten minutes left" she said pleasantly, handing Janine a plastic card with a large number 8 on it.

"How did you get a battle room reserved?" Green asked curiously as they bustled towards the doors and ignored the catcalls of the line goers.

"Well, it did help that we sort of had dinner with the captain last night. I think they think we're friends. And dropping Clair's name helped a lot too." Janine mentioned slyly.

Entering through the left one of the double doors, Green was disappointed to see that the inside of the Arena Deck was nothing more than a hallway with a bunch of doorways, each numbered. There was a window looking into a small office to their right, and Green was surprised to see a Nurse Joy helping a man with his pokemon. A few official-looking people with sensible hats on walked up and down the corridor, occasionally watching the screens next to each door that showed what was going on inside. They all reached the door marked 8, and Janine used the card to open the door into the crisp and clean arena. It felt like a tennis court to Green, and the smell of relatively fresh plastic still lingered in the room.

"Alright!" Red said jovially, spreading his arms and cracking his neck as he grinned around the room. "Pidgeotto!" he said as he released the bird pokemon, who soared gratefully around the room. "Hey Green, I've never used my Pidgeotto yet. Want to have a couple fights with him and Ralts?"

Green nodded as she stepped forward and released the small helmeted pokemon. "Sure, I suppose if you want to lose again."

The next hour practically flew by for Green. Ralts had an extensive workout, barely defeating Pidgeotto, while Breloom barely lost to Red's Ivysaur. Snorlax was brought out, and after a few minutes of sulking once he realized he wasn't getting a drink, had a very intense battle with Jeffey, Marta's Gyarados, that ended in both exhausted pokemon being returned. Janine fought Beedrill using Zubat, and though Green lost Zubat did evolve into Golbat which put a happy edge to the loss. Regirock was pitted against a double assault of Heracross and Ninjask, but after it dealt with Ninjask it defeated Heracross easily since neither pokemon could do too much damage. Finally, Charmeleon was faced with Pikachu in what proved to be the most prolonged fight of the hour. Charmeleon was more powerful but Pikachu was faster, and Pikachu would take advantage of the fact to strike Charmeleon with small bolts of electricity right after she made an attack. However, Pikachu's speed couldn't keep ahead of the attacks forever, and Charmeleon eventually caught it with a huge gout of red-hot fire that knocked it right out. Green sat off to the side once all of her pokemon had been through a battle, and watched as Nidorina and Bayleef fought ferociously. A smiling man poked his head in to remind them they only had 10 minutes left.

Red sat down next to Green as Marta's Bellsprout fought Janine's Oddish. He glanced over to her and hesitated for a few minutes before speaking, opening and closing his mouth several times. Green was looking curiously at her Pokedex, and checking something very intently.

"What's up, Red? You look kind of perturbed" Green said, looking up from the pokedex for a moment. "Can you believe it? They're all female. Must be some sick fucking cosmic joke."

"What?" Red asked, blinking at the comment.

"Nothing. Something up?"

"I just kinda wanted to ask you something." Red mumbled, looking miserable.

"Look, I wish you guys would stop saying that. Just ask me a question. It'll be fine, I promise." She shot back, a little more harshly than she'd intended as she put away her Pokedex. Red was just getting the pent up stress that had suddenly sprung up from having companions apparently not being able to live their lives without her. Sure, he was partially to blame in a small way, but the part of Green's brain that was Rudolph reasoned that if you knew a girl all your life and then she turned out to be into the same things as you, as well as being a person that you could talk to plainly, then what the hell else were you supposed to think?

"Do you still want me around when the ship docks? I mean, you can just say so. I mean, I understand if you like them more than me, really" Red said, waving his hands suddenly to indicate he didn't want to make Green upset.

Green sighed. Christ, she was glad she only had to be a teenager mentally only once. She hoped. "We don't want you to leave, Red. You snore like a log, that's why Janine came to stay in our room" she said quickly, and got a grim satisfaction at the expression on his face. "You're a great pokemon trainer, and you're my friend. Of course I want you along" she went on, taking some pity on him. "We're girls and we're gonna do girl stuff sometimes. It doesn't mean we don't like you. Hell, you should take it as a compliment. Now you can sleep naked or fart as much as you want" she said, grinning as Red's face flushed crimson.

"I… uh… I've never slept naked" Red said, in a bewildered way that made Green laugh. This had not been the response he'd been expecting. He beamed as Green wiped the tears of mirth from her eyes, and she could see that at least for right now he was in high spirits again. "Hey thanks Green! I'm sorry I took it so personally. Hey, I'd better challenge them to a doubles match quick if I wanna use all my pokemon!" he said gleefully, taking out two pokeballs as he rushed over to challenge Marta and Janine to a three-way doubles match. After a moment's hesitation, Green joined, using only Regirock instead of two pokemon.

The attendant came back before the match was actually over. The seven-way pokemon battle was impressive enough, however, that he actually entered and watched, though Marta's Wurmple had only evolved into Silcoon and then just sat there until returned. Red fought with Shedinja and Mankey, Janine with Skorupi and Koffing, Marta with a frantic Jigglypuff, and Green with Regirock. All of the other pokemon swarmed around Regirock, fighting each other as much as the stationary rock pokemon as Green kept commanding it to use Curse. At first it seemed as if Regirock was doing nothing, but eventually a noticeable dark flickering aura started to pulse around it. Finally, as Mankey came and hit it with a vicious chop on the leg, Regirock roared in pain and swung back its leg to give Mankey a vicious blow with its foot that sent the pokemon sprawling. Regirock decimated the other pokemon once Mankey was down, but even as Green returned it she could hear it groaning in pain like a rockslide. It had taken quite a beating today.

The attendant clapped as he opened the door. "Very impressive! I'm glad I stayed. There's a window up front where we'll happily heal all of your pokemon."

They all left the Arena's double doors in high spirits, and Green saw a number of people still in line from earlier. Most had that listless look of people in slow lines everywhere, but a few glared after their small group as they ambled off towards the sandwich shop. They all had a pleasant few minutes as they all sat there at the table, watching people go by to and fro.

As they finished, there was a commotion from the back that made them all turn around. Bruno came out of a door set into the back wall, and started walking out amidst a torrent of whispering.

Even as everyone else at the table watched in amazement, Marta wiped her mouth clean and waved to Bruno as he strode past their table, making him slow down with a quizzical expression on his face. "Mr. Bruno! I just wanted to thank you for yesterday. You really came through for us, and I'm very grateful."

Bruno looked back at her with that hard, stern expression he'd used the previous day. It eventually melted under the sheer inferno that was Marta's beaming smile. He rubbed the back of his head, looking suddenly and comically very uncomfortable. "Yes, thank you. I was just doing my job, after all."

"Nevertheless, you acted like quite the hero in my opinion. Nobody else that watched decided to say anything" Marta responded with a bit of a frown.

Nodding and clearing his throat, Bruno shuffled his feet. Green had a moment to smirk. The big guy was super uncomfortable around women.

"So, where are you off to, Mr. Bruno? Taking a stroll before the tournament?" Marta inquired, looking interested. Everyone else at the table turned to Bruno like people watching a tennis match.

"No, I have a bit of business off the ship at a nearby island. Elite Four business. I should be back before the tournament starts however" he said mildly, apparently glad that the topic had moved from being thanked.

"Well good luck, Mr. Bruno!" Marta said, waving happily to the large man as he awkwardly nodded back and left before they could assault him with more pleasantries.

Green smiled at his retreating back before looking over to Marta, who looked puzzled. "Did I say something to offend him?"

"I'm not sure if he talks to a lot of women" Green guessed as she finished off her sandwich. "Well, we've got a few hours before the tournament even starts. What say we go and enjoy ourselves a bit?"

As they shoved their way through the crowd and back towards the elevators, there was another moment where Green caught sight of someone she swore she knew in the crowd. It was something about the body shape, but when she looked it just seemed to be one of the sailors. She watched him go curiously for a moment, but Red shook her shoulder and broke her concentration. She smiled at him and followed their group, and when she looked over her shoulder this time she couldn't spot the large sailor again.

Chapter 12-Portentous Night

Green had her feet up on the coffee table in their apartment as she drank a beer in one hand and ate chocolates with the other. This was the real way to spend a vacation. Marta had suggested that since she wanted to give Jeffey a makeover and the others probably didn't want to sit around and wait, they should all go their separate ways for a bit. Green had agreed, and after deciding where to go for a while had just opted for the most obvious choice. If they had a luxury room, why not abuse it a bit? Red had gone right back down to the Arena Deck looking to see if someone would make a trade for his Shedinja.

To her left was the egg Clair had given her, wrapped in a blanket. Honestly, she didn't know what else to do with it. What did you do with Pokemon eggs when you kept them in the game? For that matter what was she supposed to carry it in all the time? It seemed sturdy enough, so until someone told her different she just decided to keep it nearby. There was a pouch in her bag that seemed to fit it well, so for the time being there was no real concern.

When Green looked over at the wall clock and saw that she only had a half hour before the tournament began, she scrambled up and rushed around the room to get ready. She had taken off the damn skirt again, and there was a few minutes as she reassembled her outfit. Before she left the room she stumbled a bit to the couch for her bag, and lifting it up heard something clatter out. She bent down and picked up the TM that Misty had given her. It looked like a bluish disc that reminded Green of a blu-ray disc. However, she did notice that though she'd left the thing bouncing around in her bag it hadn't got scratched at all.

Taking out her pokedex to see if it could help her out with some information, she was astounded when a hatch at the side of the pokedex slid open, like a CD tray in a laptop. Sliding the disc in, the thing snapped closed and there was a moment as the pokedex processed the information. Finally, it reopened with a ping and the hatch slid open again, only to reveal a blackened disc. Green scowled as she pulled it out. "What in the flying fuck? You worthless piece of shit!" she yelled as she began to bang the Pokedex angrily on the table.

The screen blinked, and Green stopped the pounding for a moment to read it. 'Loaded Technical Machines' was at the top of the screen, and 'Water Pulse x1' was underneath. Curious, Green pressed the entry, and two metal prongs snapped out of the front of the machine with a faint sliding noise. 'Press to Pokemon's head gently or press cancel' now shone on the screen. She considered trying it out for a moment, but she wasn't even sure which of her pokemon could accept it. Hitting cancel, she saw the prongs shoot back in with that same sliding noise. Now that she thought about it, the Pokedex worried her just a little bit. For one, any normal electronic object would need to be plugged in nightly, right? Especially when this thing apparently worked as a bank, a move teacher, and a detailed log of her pokemon. She supposed she shouldn't worry about it, but there was also the fact that she'd just beat it viciously against the table and it didn't even have a scratch. This thing must be made of Teflon.

It was only twenty minutes until the tournament now, and Green picked up her pack with a huff. She slid on the sunglasses she took the previous day and double checked to make sure she still had that extra cigar and her hat stowed away in her pack. That was everything. She wondered vaguely if Francis would get upset that she technically wasn't wearing exactly the same thing, seeing as she didn't wear the sunglasses yesterday. She considered at the same time that she couldn't give a shit what he thought.

Right before she left, Green looked out one of the small, circular windows into the wall and was surprised to see black clouds boiling in the sky. No rain was falling, but already she could hear the faint noise of wind blowing heavily against the side of the ship. At least she'd be below deck all night.

As she rode the elevator down, Green absentmindedly looked out of the windowed walls of the elevator cab and watched the promenade come closer and closer. The cab halted for a moment and let a few more people in, and Green only looked forward when the promenade went past. In front of her she saw the back of a woman, with long blue hair that came past her shoulders. She was wearing an open backed silvery dress that hugged her shape nicely. Green had that feeling of recognition again, and this time she could pinpoint it. It was Cairo, that Team Rocket woman that was trying to capture Regirock in Mt. Moon. Green's hands balled up into fists as the elevator doors to the Arena Deck opened. How dare they just wander on this ship! As the woman walked out of the room briskly, Green darted in pursuit, weaving through the crowd to close in on her. Grabbing the woman's wrist with one hand, Green pulled out a pokeball with the other. "Hold it there lady! You got a lot of shit to answer for!"

Even as the woman turned a horrified look on her assailant, Green could tell that this was not Cairo. The woman had a completely different facial makeup, and Green dismissed the possibility of prosthetics after a few moments as the two of them stood in silence, people slowing down curiously all around them.

Realizing she had been holding this woman's arm for at least a minute, Green finally let go quickly and put her pokeball away. "Um, I'm real sorry. I thought…" Green thought quickly. "You were my mom."

The other woman smiled back in a consoling sort of way, and took a deep sigh of relief. "Oh, I know how you feel honey. My mom's a bitch too. You give her hell if she deserves it."

Waving at the woman who was now walking away from her briskly, Green couldn't help but feel a bit like a fool. She was just jumping at shadows. It was all this damn alcohol. It made her a bit… edgy. Deciding to have a black coffee to calm her nerves, Green ducked into the café Interchange.

After waiting in the line for her coffee, Green was just noticing she had five minutes before the start of the tournament when Red appeared next to her in the shifting crowds. He had a huge grin, and waited patiently for Green to ask why. Green couldn't help but smile a bit as well. "Well, Red? What's got you so excited?"

"I traded Shedinja!" Red said excitedly. "I got some more versatility now, like you were talking about. Plus, I think he really likes me."

"What really likes you?" Green asked patiently as the two of them walked up to a huge table set up near the double doors. There were a number of smiling young ladies behind the table, and the one that helped them quickly found and handed out their numbers, 74 for Red and 75 for Green.

It was only when the two broke away from the madness around the table that Red responded. "My new Torchic. He's a pretty quiet guy but I have a fire type now at least!"

Green stared back in quiet astonishment for a moment. "You got a Torchic? Really?"

Smiling hugely, Red basked in the moment. "Yup! There was a breeder who had been looking for an interesting pokemon for his new team. His Blaziken made a couple of eggs lately he says."

There was a minute where Green fumed about not going down to look for potential trades herself. In hindsight, perhaps being a lazy ass back in the room had only left her slightly inebriated and wishing she'd brought a bottle of water. Maybe going down with Red and trying to get Beedrill traded off for something with a little more oomph would have been a better use of her time.

Marta rounded a large group of trainers all comparing pokemon and approached, smiling hugely and waving as Janine followed along in her wake. "Hey guys! I'm glad I found you in time! This is so exciting, isn't it? Look at all of these people!"

"Let's grab a table! Quick!" Janine shouted over the slowly building hubbub. Extra tables and chairs had been arranged along one wall, and while most of the trainers stayed near the front doors craning to see the action up close Janine took the opportunity to secure a table with both a good view of the still-blank tournament charts and of the Battle Coliseum doors.

As everyone sat down, Green hesitated next to her chair, gazing into the crowd. Sure enough, she spotted Blue after a moment, staring fixedly at the tournament board near the edge of the crowd and frowning in concentration. She snorted and sat down, summoning Charmeleon from her pokeball. The fire lizard yawned widely, and curled up under the table with a satisfied grunt.

Marta's gasp caught Green's attention, and following her momentary gaze Green found Francis at a nearby table, Marie at his side and another pair of trainers sitting across the table. They had a bottle of champagne, and Francis was already noticeably a bit drunk as he told a vibrant story, making over wide motions with his arms. Marie had one hand on his thigh as he spoke, and she drank casually from her cup as she scanned the room. Their gazes locked for a moment, and Marie flashed her catlike grin as she leaned over and whispered in Francis' ear. He perked up, said something to his audience that seemed to humor them greatly, and stood up to show her his shoes one at a time. They looked a bit less shiny than yesterday, she had to admit. Green turned away in disgust.

"Green…" Marta said softly, looking upset again. "Maybe I can go and talk-"

"I meant it what I said" Green stated evenly as she looked Marta in the eye. "Seriously." Marta let the topic drop without another mention or glance. Green looked down at Charmeleon, who was glaring at Francis and his laughing crew and growling under her breath. "Patience, girl" Green patted Charmeleon soothingly. "You'll get your chance."

Finally, a good ten minutes after the tournament should have begun, the lights were dimmed in the room and an immediate hush fell over everyone in the room. The wall above the PC terminals slid open, revealing a number of huge screens that all flicked on. They showed a single image; that of an official-looking sort of man in a black suit. Lights turned on in the ceiling, swinging around to meet the man and illuminating the televised image. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the singles tournament! Featuring more than one hundred different trainers from all over! We would like to start off tonight with a note of regret: it seems that Bruno will not be making it to the tournament this evening due to a pressing engagement." The grumbles this brought up ripped through the crowd, and the man went on quickly. "Of course, we have another unexpected guest judge this evening! Hailing from the Orange Islands, Danny, the Gym Leader of Navel Island!"

Green's face fell, and she turned away disinterestedly. "Oh, I thought it was a REAL guest. Just tell me when they put our names on the board." Judging by the halfhearted applause from around the room, the audience felt the same way.

Her interest was pulled back before that, and she turned back to the screen when the word "prize" was used. She could see a tall and fit man in a nice khakis and a collared shirt and sweater vest combo. In one hand he held the microphone, and in the other he was showing a golden pokeball to the "ooooh"-ing crowd. "The exact type of pokemon will, of course remain a secret" Danny was saying in a calm and pleasant voice. "Remember, these matches will be two-on-two battles. We will be calling out numbers in periodic groups of four. Be prepared when your number is called, because you will have ten minutes before your match begins. When you reach your battle rooms, you must give the attendant the two pokemon you wish to use. Strategy plays a bit of a part here as well, because you will not have the luxury of all of your pokemon. Of course, if both parties agree to alter the terms of their individual battles, they may do so as long as they receive an ok by an attendant. Parties can choose to fight with up to six pokemon if they wish. I believe it goes without saying that any unauthorized alterations in battling procedure will be viewed in a very harsh light."

There was a murmur in the group, and many turned to see the tournament board light up, names zooming down the slots on the narrowing board. Little numbers stood out next to the names, and after a moment's search she found her own. She was going to be fighting someone called David in the first round, but not for a little while. She was the first of their trio to have a battle, it looked like. Janine was near the very bottom, and Red was shoved somewhere in the middle. Looking at the first match, Green was surprised to see Blue's name, paired against someone called Gibbles. The booming voice of Danny washed over the crowd again, and the buzz of conversation subsided again. "To speed up the progress of the tournament, remember that only the winner's pokemon will be healed at the desk, simply in the interest of time. After the tournament ends we will assist everyone with the healing of their pokemon. The monitors on the wall will provide up-to-date progress on all of the matches, so please enjoy yourselves, and good luck to all you contestants!"

Even Green joined in on the applause. The guy was taking the disappointment most of the crowd felt with grace, so she felt he deserved something even if his league was a stupid and pointless shitfest. She guessed that wasn't his fault after all. Danny waved back and entered through the double doors, and the golden pokeball was placed inside of a glass case and brought in after him. Almost immediately after the doors shut, a cool and calm female voice announced a series of numbers. People began getting up and shuffling around the room, heading eagerly for the doors into the Battle Coliseum. Green watched evenly as Blue strode right up to the doors, never breaking his stride or his gaze as he walked through the doors as they opened to allow the trainers entry.

After a bit of waiting, as other numbers were called out, the screens went from showing nothing to showing six different battles. Blue faced off against a short dark-skinned kid in a blue jumpsuit with yellow stripes and an ostentatious blue hat with a red feather that must have been Gibbles. They couldn't hear the words as the two spoke to each other, but both hurled pokeballs as soon as the attendant signaled them to begin. Wartortle came out against, predictably, a Gible. The two pokemon began to fight nearly at once, Wartorle leading off decisively with a Water Pulse while Gible leapt in to chomp at Wartortle. The ball hit the thing out of mid-air, and it fell with a thud to the ground. The Gible recovered quickly, and rushed in to slash at Wartortle, but it missed horribly and hit the ground at a dead run. The attack had made it confused, and now Wartortle rushed in with a glowing tail and slammed the downed baby dragon. It shrieked, and went limp as Gibbles returned it amidst a hail of cheers from the watching crowd.

Green just didn't watch the second half of his match. The guy had a couple good pokemon, but had probably spent more time looking for the rare pokemon and getting his wardrobe than actually battling. She offhandedly watched the other screens as trainers buzzed around the room, nervously talking amongst themselves or standing silently, watching the screens. In one corner of the room she was sure she could see a couple of guys passing money to a man with a notebook, who was eagerly taking notes down. People were betting on the outcome already. Green settled back and tried to rest her eyes for a few minutes, but suddenly her number was called on the overhead speakers. Standing up, Green stretched and returned Charmeleon. "Well, see you on the other side folks" she said as she pulled on the sunglasses from yesterday.

Janine actually got up and gave Green a hug, which was so sudden it made her blush. "Good luck, Green" was all she said, but she gave an extra squeeze before letting go. It left Green speechless.

Standing up as Janine sat down, Red walked up to Green, seized her limp hand and pumped it a couple of times with a smile on his face. "The only one you gotta worry about in this tournament is Francis. You'll do great. Even if we all lose and you beat him it'll be all worth it."

Marta simply waved a little forcefully, because Red and Janine were now giving each other cool, calculating stares. She looked as if she wanted to send Green off before anyone got upset. "Good luck, Green!"

As Green pushed her way to the doors of the Coliseum, she passed Blue coming the other way, smiling. All he did was flick his eyes to the tournament board and wander off towards the coffee bar with a smirk on his face. Looking over, Green could see he had beaten Gibbles, and had thus advanced to round 2.

As Green entered through the opened doors, an attendant checked her number, and motioned her with a smile to door number three. Danny was further down the hall, watching one of the monitors with a serious look on his face before turning to march down to the next. Green opened the door to room number three, and stepped inside to face her opponent and the judge.

"Ah, number 75. Excellent. May I see your two pokemon, please?" asked the judge, holding a hand out towards Green, who paused before handing over Charmeleon and Snorlax.. The judge smiled, and scanned the two pokeballs with a pokedex that he took out of his pocket. Green had thought long and hard about using Regirock in the tournament, but had eventually decided not to. Who knew if there was some sort of law about using legendaries. Plus, she had enough confidence in Snorlax, Charmeleon and Breloom to take care of everything on their own. He handed them back and took a step towards the far wall of the battle floor. "Excellent. On the count of three then"

David, who was scowling in concentration, looked intensely down at his own pokeball as the countdown commenced. He put Green in mind of someone trying hard to remember his lines for a play or something. He threw out his pokeball on the count of three, finally looking up as his Sandslash faced off against Green's Snorlax.

Snorlax turned to glare at Green, as if saying that next time there'd better be something tangible to drink the next time it showed up. It turned to Sandslash as the thing darted forward, and caught the smaller pokemon with a wicked Headbutt. Even as the other pokemon staggered away, looking dazed, Snorlax braced itself and shoulder slammed Sandslash with a powerful Body Slam. The other pokemon didn't get up, and the exasperated David returned it with a groan.

David's next pokeball, nervously grabbed out of a pocket, released a Toarkoal, which appeared and blew out a blast of fire towards Snorlax. The fat pokemon frowned and barreled straight through the licking flames, slamming the turtle pokemon over with another body slam that actually sent the thing skidding across the floor. It groaned and lay there, paralyzed and unable to move. Snorlax looked smug and smacked its' belly with a slap as it laughed.

"The winner is number 75!" The announcer yelled, coming over to raise Green's hand in the air. Green grinned around, feeling happy but not too worked up. This kid had been… well, a kid. He'd been nervous and stammered his orders out, and he probably hadn't been ready for a pokemon as offensively-focused as Snorlax, who didn't even look too winded by the battle. The kid hadn't the air of a professional trainer, just an enthusiast.

David nevertheless came to meet Green in the middle of the battleroom floor, and shook her hand with a gracious smile. "Wow, your Snorlax is amazing! I didn't even get much of a scrape on him, did I?"

Green looked over at Snorlax, who was yawning and looking bored as he stared around at the empty arena. He didn't look hurt at all. "No, guess not. He's a tough pokemon though."

The two trainers parted ways at the front of the coliseum, Green staying behind for a moment as David took the walk of shame back into the crowd. Green received her pokeballs back almost at once, and she took them graciously as another couple of trainers were lead out of their room, one of the men heading eagerly for the counter. Leaving through the double doors, she came out into a wave of cheering voices. People were patting her back all around, and by the time she made it back to the table she felt she'd had enough of people saying "good job". There were also a number of trainers who merely watched her as well, whispering to each other or making notes with neutral expressions on their faces.

As she walked through the crowd, Green passed a grinning Francis. He smiled and stopped, waving a hand after her. "I look forward to watching you in the tournament more! Your first round was interesting." Green ignored him and continued to the table.

Plopping down at the table, Green sighed and glanced around at her smiling companions. "Well, that was a little easier than I was expecting. I kind of felt bad for the guy, really."

"I'm so impressed, Green! You should have heard the cheering when you won!" Marta exclaimed excitedly as Green reached into her bag for a bottle of water.

Red nodded quickly. "Yeah, it was amazing! Your Snorlax is really strong."

"I wouldn't have even expected you to lose" was all Janine said, and the two of them shared a grin. She pointed up at the wall. "Hey, look, Francis is battling."

Turning, everyone saw Francis facing off against a man with a white suit on one of the screens. They both let pokeballs go, and Francis' Quilava was up against the other man's Tauros. The bull rushed the four-legged creature, but it was too nimble. Quilava breathed in and blew out a line of fire that seriously damaged his opponent.

Green revolved back in her seat to face away from the screen. She didn't really want to watch Francis win. She noticed suddenly that Marta also wasn't watching either, but staring up at the tournament tree with a frown on her face. "Hey, what's wrong Marta? You look distressed or something."

Looking up, Marta tried to brighten her smile. "Nothing at all! Why do you ask?"

Flicking her eyes back to the tournament tree, Green scanned again for something that would cause Marta concern. She spotted it fairly quickly. The next round she was supposed to battle someone named Torgo, but then the round after that she would be pitted against Francis if he won his match. Glancing back at the screens, she could see Tauros being returned. The man in the white suit sent out a Chansey, and Francis returned his Quilava even as he threw out a Metang. It quickly became clear that Chansey had no chance as it slapped the floating creature to no effect, and Green turned away from the screens.

"Marta, you don't have to worry you know." Green said, reaching across the table to pat Marta's trembling hands. Green put on the bravest face she could. "I already told you I'm gonna win for sure."

Marta looked like she wanted to respond, but the next series of numbers were being called and Red was standing up. She opted to smile at him instead. "Oh, good luck Red! I know you're going to do well!"

Red grinned around as everyone said their pleasantries and went off into the Coliseum. Luckily, the first round for him was as easy as it had been for Green as Ivysaur defeated a man's Gyarados and Machoke.

Janine's first round battle ended up being much tougher, because the man sent out an Aron against Janine's Golbat. Most of the bat's attacks simply didn't do much damage to the little metal thing, but once Golbat used Confuse Ray the little pokemon eventually knocked itself out. The man's second pokemon, a Clefairy, was substantially easier, and was defeated by Nidorina.

The second round for the group turned out to be a much more intense affair than the previous round, all except for Blue who faced off against a kid with two Luvdisc. Green faced off against a trainer by the name of Tyson, a black-haired older kid with a thick red leather jacket. He battled Green's Breloom with a Lanturn that left the fighting mushroom knocked out, and Charmeleon had to sweep up before she was given quite a workout by her opponent's Dodrio. The guy was gracious enough, making small talk as they walked up to the front counter, but Green could already see Francis coming down the hallway and could only smile and nod along with Tyson.

Francis stopped by the counter for a moment to stand alongside Green as she took her pokeballs back stiffly. He made Green uncomfortable with his eyes, the way he looked her up and down. As Rudolph he'd never worried about people undressing him with their eyes. "Well I'm very glad you won. We finally get a chance to see how you measure up. By the way, if you win then you'll have to take the sunglasses off. You have beautiful brown eyes."

Green didn't watch him as he walked into his next battle room. Her hands were trembling as she balled them up into fists on the countertop. Nurse Joy looked at Green with a worried expression. "Are you alright dear?"

Heading towards the door with sudden swiftness, Green only had a moment to look back over her shoulder. "Fine, thank you."

That bastard has completely thrown me off, Green was thinking to herself as she walked out of the double doors, and through the cheering crowd. As the table came in sight, however, there was a commotion there that was looking to possibly turn serious. Red and Janine were both standing up, hands on the table as they glared at each other. Marta sat to one side, looking helpless and afraid as the two said things to each other far too low for Green to hear. Green walked up to the table swiftly and dropped her bag down hard with a bang, making both Red and Janine jump. "What the hell is going on?"

It was like a switch was flicked. Both Red and Janine's expressions slid into embarrassed grins, and they both lost that intense look. "Oh, nothing, Green. We were just arguing about what type is best" Janine said brightly.

Red nodded in agreement all too quickly. "Yeah. I said… fire." It didn't take a genius to see he had just picked a random type. His number was called out over the loudspeaker however, and he stood up gratefully. "Well, wish me luck!" he called before rushing off towards the opening doors.

Looking bewildered, Green glanced to Marta to see if she could make sense of this, but Marta was staring fixedly at her cup of iced tea and humming in a distracted kind of way. Green got the impression she was avoiding her gaze.

Green eventually decided to just watch Francis' match, which was already half over. His Quilava was fighting a Swellow and winning, but it was better than dealing with the sudden embarrassed silence that had fallen over the table.

"Well, that's me." Janine said evenly after another batch of numbers was called. It brought Green's attention back from Red's match as she stood up to go, and she glanced at the tournament listing to see who Janine was battling next. It turned out to be someone called Torgo, but what more immediately drew the eye was the listing for round five. If Red and Janine continued to win, they'd both be fighting in round five. Come to think of it, according to the listing above that, if Blue kept winning Green would have to fight him come round five. When Green turned to comment on this to Janine, she was gone.

Looking to Marta, Green could see her glance up and down again in a quick movement of panic. They were the only ones at the table now. "So. Marta. What was that all about?"

Rubbing the back of her head, Marta looked as if she'd rather be anywhere else. "Well… they were just taking about… extra terms for their match. If it happens." Marta explained in hesitant chunks.

"What sort of extra terms? Like, six pokemon on six pokemon?"

"More like… someone would win something" Marta explained, still not raising her eyes above Green's chest.

Frowning, Green was about to just demand to know what she was avoiding when Red plopped down in the chair next to her, making her jump. She'd been so focused on Marta she hadn't been watching for her other companions. Last she'd seen of Red's match he'd been using Torchic to fight his opponent's Butterfree. "Oh, Red. How are you? Did your match end well?"

Red's face fell a bit. "You didn't see it? Torchic beat Butterfree, but lost to the guy's Yanma. Then Pikachu beat him. Why weren't you watching?"

Looking at Red, Green had a moment of flaring anger where she just wanted to ask him plainly what the changes to the terms of his and Janine's match had been. Seeing Marta's terrified expression softened her resolve though. She must have been made to promise not to tell, and all of this was probably tearing her up inside. Fine, she'd confront Red and Janine later about all of this. The fact that she was being kept out of some kind of secret deal made her edgy. "Oh, um, once we saw you beat his Butterfree we knew you were gonna win. And I wanted... Marta's ideas of who to use against Francis."

"Oh, right! Well, do you know who you're going to use then?" Red asked eagerly, all annoyance slipping away as he grinned over at the pair of them.

"Sure do" Green assured him, and pointed to the screen. "Hey look, Janine!" Marta shot a grateful look at Green that she pretended not to see.

They all watched in grateful silence as Janine's Koffing battled against a lady in a fabulous white dress and her Seel. Koffing didn't seem to have the advantage because it kept fleeing, but it soon became apparent this was only because Seel was poisoned. Eventually, the Seel slowed down to catch his breath, and Koffing hit it with a blast of gunk that drove the aquatic pokemon back against the ground. The lady in the elegant dress huffed as she returned her Seel, and sent out Jynx. Koffing's next blast of gunk hit it right in the face as well, and the spectators cheered as Jynx wiped a hand across its' face jumped at the flying ball, smashing it with a blue glowing fist. Koffing glowed white, and let loose a huge blast of energy that took the Jynx off its' feet. Koffing was returned as it fell to the ground, and Nidorina sent out, but Jynx didn't get up.

Even as they all cheered for Janine, Green could hear the overhead announcement stating that there would be an hour break between rounds two and three. People in the middle of the room were already heading for the sandwich shop and coffee bar, and even more were heading for the restrooms. This left a surprisingly clear floor open for when Janine came out, and she had no problem making it up to the table.

Janine strolled up and took a seat casually. "Well, what did you think?" Green noticed that while she smiled at her and nodded to Marta, she ignored Red entirely, and Red did the same in return.

"You did a great job in there, Janine. You were two for one there at the end! We should go and have some lunch to celebrate our wins. If we all keep on a winning streak we're gonna be battling each other soon, after all. Might as well eat some more free food, right?" Green asked the table jovially.

Everyone agreed readily, and they all headed off towards the elevators. Green got on the phone once they entered, ordering a tray of sandwiches and relaxing on the couch languidly as she released Charmeleon. Leaning back against the back of the couch, she sighed heavily as she slid a hand into the waistband of her pants. It was kind of a shame they'd be in Olivine tonight. It was great, being able to lounge about and eat however much they wanted in this glorious room.

Their sandwiches came quickly, and the man who brought the tray had at least four trays full of food on a cart. It looked like everyone was taking this time to get some food in. They all ate slowly, talking easily about the tournament as they consumed the food slowly. Snorlax was let out halfway through the meal, and given a bottle of vodka to quiet down.

The first boom of thunder boomed outside of the ship, making everyone pause for a moment in their eating. Then, the soft hiss of rain could be heard through the ship's walls. They could all see the outside of the ship, dark as more clouds boiled across the sky and let loose the rain that was falling in sheets. The ship didn't churn, probably because it was much too big for that, but there was a deep noise like the settling of a house. Marta looked worried as the watched the beating rain. "Oh my, that's not good! I hope the Captain can steer us through this well. In fact, I hope he's not still feeling ill. Maybe we should go and see if he's alright?"

Nodding vaguely, Green attacked another sandwich. "Yeah, the captain. Nice guy. Um, why don't we maybe wait until later tonight. Or tomorrow sometime. I'm sure he's doing just dandy."

Marta looked like she wanted to argue the fact, but after a moment of hesitation let it drop. Red and Janine were exchanging a very stiff dialogue, and Marta kept an eye on them to make sure it didn't dissolve into arguments.

Green contented herself with giving Snorlax another bottle of vodka and letting Charmeleon out of her pokeball. She watched the two pokemon interact, Snorlax leaning drunkenly over to pat Charmeleon happily on the head while Charmeleon stoically accepted the drunk pokemon's affection. Green smiled happily as she got herself a glass of water. Even though she'd given her large friend a solid quarter of her remaining liquor stash, it didn't bother her. Snorlax had pretty much earned its' keep and then some, so letting her get drunk as a skunk seemed fair.

Flipping back to Snorlax's profile, she scanned down to see what else she could glean from the Pokedex. It told Green about her weight and height and the relation of these numbers to the average of all Snorlax on file, a list of the moves it knew and a number of rough graphs telling Green about statistical values associated with her Snorlax, probably contrasted with the others on file once again. Then, at the bottom of the page there was a curious little option. Under "Available TMs" there was a glowing option for Water Pulse. Choosing it, Green was unsurprised to see the metal prongs pop out of the front again. Figuring that it couldn't hurt much, Green walked over to Snorlax and gently placed the prongs against her head.

There was a jolt of bluish electricity around Snorlax's head, and she jerked up suddenly as if she'd heard a noise. On the screen of the pokedex, Water Pulse faded away, and it went back to Snorlax's profile. Sure enough, Water Pulse was on her list of moves now. Green nodded agreeably. That was a thousand times easier than she thought it would be. Sure, had she actually thought it through Snorlax didn't exactly have a huge special attack, but at least she had coverage against rock types now, and maybe even Quilava if it came to that.

Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Green turned around to see Janine smiling at her. Red and Marta were talking casually as they cleaned up the mess they had made from lunch. "Are you ready to go? We only have fifteen minutes or so to get downstairs" Janine asked, reaching down easily to give Green's hand a tug.

Though her first instinct was to resist and say they should wait for the other two, another part of her realized that this could be the only time to confront Janine before her match with Red. It would just be too awkward to try to confront both of them about this whole subject, and quite frankly Green felt a little more comfortable talking plainly to Janine. She was a bit more like Rudolph than Green in some indefinable way that made Green relax in her presence. "Yeah. Let's go right now. Guys, we're gonna go try and get a table! Meet you downstairs!" Green said as she gripped Janine's hand, and pulled her along behind as they swept out the door past a confused-looking Red and Marta.

Not looking back until she had pressed the button for the elevator, Green wasn't surprised to see Janine smiling happily as she maintained her grip on Green's hand. Even as Green dropped the embrace, Janine maintained her good mood as she rocked back and forth on her heels, whistling a tune as they waited for the elevator.

"Janine, what changes did you agree on for your match with Red?" Green asked, wanting to get this over with. She had considered stepping lightly around the subject, but that just wasn't her style. The way that Janine's face darkened made Green add quickly, "it wasn't Marta. It's just pretty obvious. You and Red have been all weird even since my second match, and when I happen to mention to her that you and Red will be fighting come round five and she falls to pieces. Now come on. Just talk to me here."

Shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot, Janine looked resigned. "Well, it's not even a big deal… we weren't even going to mention it to you unless Red won, really. When you left for your second round match, he happened to mention that he wanted to be in the doubles tournament with you. He said that he wanted that to be the stakes of our match."

Blinking, Green processed this quietly as the doors to the elevator opened and they both stepped inside, feeling the cab moving down towards the Arena Deck. "I see. That's why you're so upset with him then, is it?"

"I'm upset with him because when he suggested the terms he also suggested I was scared and wouldn't take the deal. I don't like being called a coward. I don't tend to back down." Janine looked put upon as she scowled at the doors.

As they stepped out onto the Arena Deck and looked around at the slowly filling room, they could see that at least for the moment there weren't too many people around. There was still a good ten minutes until the tournament, and judging from the last time there's probably be another ten minute grace period before the event actually started up. The two of them managed to find a table easily, and Green sighed before speaking further. "Why didn't you guys want to tell me about this? I'm involved and everything."

"Red said that he didn't want to tell you unless he won. I just didn't think about it, really. I've been having a little bit on my mind."

"Well, do you want to tell me about it? What's on your mind, that is" Green prompted gently, feeling bad as she looked into Janine's hesitant face.

"I probably shouldn't be this angry with Red. I realize that, all right?" Janine snapped, looking annoyed at this sudden concern. She looked as if she regretted bring the whole subject up. "Let's just drop it."

Green reached out and gripped Janine's hand again. For a moment Janine tried to pull away but Green redoubled her grip and spoke gently. "Please tell me what's on your mind. I swear I'll help if I can."

Squirming, Janine gripped Green's hand back and looked her straight in the eye, but as she went on she slowly slid her gaze, so she wasn't quite meeting it at the end. "I like you, all right? That's the short version. I can tell that Red does too, and it annoys me. I know I shouldn't be annoyed with him but I just can't help it. We only kissed because we were drinking, like you said."

Instead of feeling touched, like Green felt she probably should be in the situation, she just felt exasperated. She made an effort not to let it show on her face, however. The recent meeting with that weird shadow guy had sort of driven a spear in her sex drive. The facts had been hurled at her like knives, and now it was just hard to summon up those kinds of feelings right away. The part of Green that was Rudolph could justify the drinking. After all, this was a traumatizing experience, and who wouldn't want to get fucked up after realizing that not only are you suddenly less than half your previous age, but also of the opposite gender?

The Janine problem was more complicated. Green wasn't dumb, and could of course tell that Janine had feelings for her. Green had just been hoping that those feelings would eventually pass if they weren't reciprocated. It looked like there wasn't going to be a simple way out of this however. Ignoring this problem now would probably result in some emotional scars for Janine or something.

"I'm… going to be frank with you here" Green said slowly after a very long pause. Janine looked into Green's eyes again, and the expression on her face was hopeful yet a bit worried. "I don't know how I feel about you, alright? I might like you and I might not, but I guess I'm going to need some time to think about this."

"You said you were attracted to me that night." Janine drew Green's hand in closer with hers, and drew gently on Green's palm with her free hand's index finger. Green could feel goosebumps erupt all over her body. "I think you were telling me the truth. I can wait a little while if you need it."

Opening her suddenly dry mouth to make some sort of comment, Green never had the chance to say anything before Janine abruptly released her hand and smiled up at their approaching comrades, pushing through the crowd that had become much thicker in the few minutes they'd spent in conversation. Red simply sat down in the chair next to Green, grinning and asking some question that went completely over her head. Marta took her time sitting down, glancing back and forth from Green to Janine in a curious way before taking her seat.

Deciding to break the silence, and realizing she had created said silence by not answering Red's question, Green looked at him and smiled widely. "So, what took you guys so long in the room?"

"Just cleaning up and stuff. Marta also asked me to show her Torchic" Red explained, looking around the room obliviously.

Marta was giving Green a searching, curious look that was making her squirm a bit. "Yes, I hadn't seen Red's new pokemon yet. What were you..."

"Ladies and gentlemen!" boomed a voice over the room's sound system that quieted Marta as well as the hubbub in the room. The screens all flicked suddenly to life, and instead of the host from earlier, there was a new smiling man with a top hat and cane. He looked positively swanky after the last host, with a dazzling silver threaded suit, and brilliant golden monocle. He was smiling up at he camera, and speread his arms wide. "Welcome to round three! Remember folks, from here on out this is going to be a nonstop fighting fest! That's right, no more breaks until we have a winner!"

As the audience cheered, Green frowned in confusion. "What happened to the first announcer?" But Green never had her questions answered as the first round of numbers were called out. Green's number was announced in the first wave, and with a start she realized that she hadn't even been paying attention to her upcoming match. Now that it was right here, she didn't know what to think. Standing up without looking at anyone at the table, Green marched off towards the opening doors of the coliseum. She heard the faint noises of her companions wishing her luck, but her attention wasn't on them anymore.

Francis was getting up from his table, and didn't so much as glance over in Green's direction as he strode towards the doors, leaving Marie behind. Marie, however, spared Green a slow smile as she drank a glass of wine. Green glared back, though her anger was slightly undermined as Rudolph couldn't help noticing the low cut of Marie's dress and the impressive measurements she sported. There was an awkward moment between the two, as Marie seemed to look confused as the stare went on just a bit too long. Rushing on, Green shook her head to clear the thoughts. This was like torture or something. It was like taking a tiger, (alright, not a tiger, Rudolph hadn't been THAT impressive, but at least some sort of small hunting cat) suddenly giving him nothing to eat but soy, and then dangling meat just out of its reach. Well, maybe not quite that dramatic, but it certainly felt near to the truth. Even when she was thrown a bone (so to speak) in the form of Janine it had been a double-edged sword once that shadowy bastard had accused her of taking advantage of the fact that in some small way she was technically a step ahead of everyone. Glancing back over her shoulder at Marie, Green noticed her frowning as she stared back, as if trying to decide what to make of the younger girl.

Hurrying inside, Green was ushered down to room number eight, though she could have found the place without the help of the administrators. Francis was near the end next to the door, grinning widely as he opened the door for his opponent. "After you, ma'am."

Green brushed past him into the room without so much as a glance, and walked right up to the coordinator to hand over her pokemon. Francis, with his longer legs, kept right up and handed his pokeballs over only a moment after for inspection. The man solemnly handed back the two balls as they took their places on either side of the arena. Green had just a moment to wonder if she chose the right pokemon as the coordinator held up a hand dramatically. "On my mark! Three! Tw-"

"Just a moment" Francis said, turning to Green with a positively indecent smile on his face. "Green, I have a proposal for you. A change in the wagers. An extra stipulation for the match."

Looking shocked, Green was uncomfortably aware of the coordinator watching her reaction with a curious eye. "I'm going to win here. Name it."

Smiling even wider, he spun the pokeball he held gently in his fingers. "The loser gives one pokemon from their current team to the other."

Green felt hate surge through her body, and took a deep breath to calm herself before continuing. "Fine."

"And remember, off with those sunglasses!" Francis chided, and Green was sure that when she flipped them up he licked his lips appreciatively. Green shuddered.

Both trainers let their pokeballs go, and suddenly Charmeleon was facing off against Francis' Metang. Green wasn't surprised, as he'd tended to lead with the steel-type in his matches. Charmeleon was quicker than the larger pokemon on the uptake however, and before it could react properly Charmeleon had sprung up on its' back and sunk a flaming maw of teeth into the metal pokemon's shoulder. The Metang shrieked, but didn't fall as it glowed blue, and flung Charmeleon away with a blast of psychic energy. Charmeleon rolled upright, hissing and brandishing her claws menacingly at Metang, who did the same.

"Bullet Punch!" Francis shrieked in glee, and Metang suddenly zoomed at Charmeleon with surprising speed. Its' arms glowed, and it began pummeling the lizard with a flurry of blows that even sounded painful to Green. Charmeleon breathed in to blow a line of white-hot fire at the other pokemon, but a punch in the mouth sent the stream harmlessly up into the air. "Take down!" Francis screamed, fists clenched a he watched the match with an almost manic glee. Metang stopped the punches, hovered backwards for a moment and then hit Charmeleon with a blow that sent it tumbling aga

Feeling the bottom dropping out of her stomach, Green lifted her pokeball, meaning to return the fallen Charmeleon. However, she slowly began to get up, and this time its' tail was burning with an intense blue-white flame that made Green hesitate and put Charmeleon's pokeball back. There even looked to be some of that fire in her eyes, as the lizard glared hatefully at Metang, who was quickly closing the distance for another take down. Even as Green cried, "Flamethrower!" Charmeleon spewed a cone of intense red fire, tinged with wisps of blue and white flame. Metang hit the ground, but even before the metal beast could get up Charmeleon was on top of it, snarling as it bit into the thing again and again with a mouth of flaming fangs.

Francis returned Metang, looking a bit off kilter. "No matter. I have a little more faith in this one anyhow. Go, Quilava!" Charmeleon met it head-on, blowing another huge gout of fire that drove the fresh Quilava backwards, yelping wildly. "Brick break!" Francis encouraged, and once Charmeleon stopped to take a breath, Quilava ran on all fours at her, quickly closing the distance. Quilava reared on its' hind legs and caught Charmeleon in the throat with a glowing blow from its paw. Charmeleon gagged and stumbled, letting Quilava deliver a vicious blow to the back of Charmeleon's neck. She went down like a sack of hammers.

Even as Green returned Charmeleon and threw out her next pokeball with Snorlax inside, she could feel that this could be a very bad turn of luck. Even worse was that while Snorlax was being let out, Quilava was shining bright white like a beacon. As Snorlax drunkenly got to her feet, Quilava had evolved into Typhlosion and now apparently had no troublc standing on its' hind legs as it stared the heavier pokemon down. Snorlax went from looking pleasantly inebriated to vastly concerned as Typhlosion bellowed a challenging roar at her.

Typhlosion rushed at Snorlax, dropping down to all fours as it enguled itself in fire. It collided with Snorlax, who stumbled back and frowned at the fire pokemon. Snorlax leapt right back, catching Typhlosion in the chin with her shoulder as it bore the other pokemon down to the ground. Typhlosion skid away from Snorlax, yelping as it hit the ground. Clearly, Snorlax wasn't overly concerned with fire.

"Forget fire attacks, use brick break again!" Francis yelled desperately as Typhlosion got up painfully from the attack, and sprinted forward. With glowing forepaws it slammed Snorlax once low, and then once high with a blow that knocked the heavier pokemon clean over. She groaned, and struggled to get back up.

"Rollout!" Green screamed at Snorlax, feeling equally as desperate as Francis looked now. Snorlax turned her slow stand into a tuck and roll, and went on spinning at Typhlosion like a bowling ball. She struck the flame pokemon in the gut and rolled over it bodily as she sped forward, barely missing the coordinator who leapt out of the way as it hooked around to come back.

"Brick break! Knock that fat bastard out!" Francis screamed, and Typhlosion's hands glowed white again as it got up and faced the approaching rolling pokemon. Both pokemon struck, and both pokemon hit. Typhlosion's blow did hit the ball, and Snorlax did get hurt, but the inertia couldn't be undone so suddenly. Snorlax still bowled over the flame pokemon, sending the two sprawling along the arena together, bouncing along the floor with notable thuds.

There was a long moment as the two pokemon lay there, both unmoving. Typhlosion was the first to move however, and got up triumphantly as the coordinator began to speak. "It looks like the wi-"

Snorlax sat bolt upright, and summoned a ball of water that smashed into Typhlosion's head, sending it sprawling to the ground where it didn't get up. Snorlax stood up very slowly and began to dust herself off. Green cheered and clapped her hands as Snorlax smiled at her.

Clearing his throat, the coordinator went on again. "The winner is number 75!" he smiled a bit as Green danced around, pulling her sunglasses back on as she gave Snorlax a relieved hug. "Congratulations."

Nodding happily and returning Snorlax, Green exited the room past an unconcious Typhlosion and past a shocked Francis, who hadn't moved to follow as she swept out of the room and into the hallway. Skipping once she had the room to do so, Green began singing happily as she got up to the front desk and handed over her pokemon. While she had a few minutes singing "We Are the Champions" by Queen, she had a moment to mourn the absence of all the rock and roll that would properly convey the emotions to Green's current mindset. Looking up and down the hall while waiting for Francis, Green's face fell slightly as she realized something. Danny wasn't anywhere in sight. The other times he'd always been in the hallway, watching a match through the monitors or moving to the next. His absence made her uncomfortable.

"Say, do you know where Danny went, Nurse..." Green began and silenced once she actually paid attention to the woman she'd given her pokeballs to. It clearly wasn't Nurse Joy. Instead of the normal short pink hair, the girl had nearly horizontal purple hair. Green simply boggled for a moment. It went to a point. It looked a few feet long. How did she keep it standing up? How did she get dressed?! Most importantly, why did this woman suddenly seem so familiar and unfamiliar, those dark spaces in her mind welling up when Green pulled close to the relevant memories. Only snippets of other memories persisted.

"Nurse Jessie" the woman supplied pleasantly, handing over Green's pokeballs and a brittle grin that told Green to get moving.. Next to her, a thin man in a white coat and shoulder-length blue hair was working at a desk, but in a preoccupied way of moving items around that made it look as if he was doing a lot of work when he was really just... arranging items on the desk. Without thinking, Green's eyes flicked around until they landed on a Meowth, who was cleaning itself slowly. She had suspected a cat would be around somehow. There was a definate moment of awkwardness as Green simply stood there, looking at the nurse's new companions before turning to stare back at the nurse.

For some undefined reason Green had the urge to make sure the pokeballs actually contained her pokmon, but she couldn't fathom why. "Do I know you three?" Green asked suspiciously, leaning slowly over the counter to stare Nurse Jessie in the face. She realized she must be making a fool out of herself, but she was sure if she could just place the face...

Someone else slumped onto the counter next to Green, making her jump. Blue handed his pokeballs over wordlessly to the Nurse, who tore her eyes away from Green and graciously bustled off. The spell broken, Green turned to Blue and scowled. "Oh, it's you. Guess you won your match."

"Yeah, the guy was tough." Blue responded in his level tone of voice, shrugging. "He requested we do a four-on-four match. He must've thought I didn't have a real team, only a couple of trick ponies. You know better, don'tcha Green?"

Turning away from the counter, Green marched towards the doors. "Six-on-six."

As Green pushed her way through the crowd, all thoughts of the strangeness inside the Coliseum was forgotten. In there it was almost reverentially silent most of the time, with only a couple of whispered conversations between trainers as they moved to their destinations. Out here, with the pounding crowd, it was harder to think what was so weird about those people behind the counter. It was driven from Green's mind completely once she got back to her table. Francis was standing there, unhappily handling a pokeball and pointedly not looking at Marta. Marie was standing next to Francis, arms crossed below her chest as she stood frowning and rigid. There was a bit of a crowd already, much to his chagrin, and they all watched eagerly as Francis held out the pokeball.

"My Krabby." Francis said evenly, not smiling as he handed it over.

For a moment Green considered being the noble one here and not take it, but after a split second snatched the pokeball, which disappeared after a moment's pause. "Thanks buddy! Now, I think you have an apology to make before we go any further" Green commented sternly, gesturing over to Marta who blushed a deep crimson. "Go on. We can do the shoe stuff after."

As Francis slumped his shoulders and marched into the crowd and towards Marta, Green could notice Red and Janine standing nearby Marta giving Francis stern looks. With the majority of the crowd flowing to follow Francis, Green was given a spare moment to flop into a seat with a grateful sigh. The others would take care of the apology deal with any luck. She was surprised when Marie walked out of the crowd and sat down next to her, the woman sliding her legs into a more comfotable position in a slow series of movements as she stirred a mixed drink. Neither spoke for a moment, and then Marie smiled wanly down at Green, leaning in close. "You know you're a very bizarre little girl. I don't just mean about beating Francis, though that's very impressive."

Green saw the curiosity in the beautiful woman's eyes. She also didn't lean away, and Marie's face stopped only inches from her own "Well, what do you mean then? I don't have time for games and stuff."

"Well, I saw you staring at me that time just before the match for one. And on the deck. You like girls, don't you little girl?" Marie asked teasingly, taking a large sip of her drink and grinning wickedly. "I know when someone's staring. You do it like a man."

Green's eyebrow twitched. This woman was just fucking with her, playing a game. Well, Rudolph had a great idea for a game.

"It could never have worked, you know. I like a man in my life. You can't exactly fill-" Marie began, stopping only when the wrist holding her drink was seized by Green's hand.

Taking advantage of the momentary lapse in balance of the larger tipsy woman, Green leaned in and ran her lips along the nape of Marie's neck and up to her ear, feeling the skin prickle into goosebumps. Green's hand unoccupied with Marie's wrist went to her thigh and ran up to the hip as she simultaneously nibbled gently on the earlobe with her teeth, and then whispered, "I can assure you I'd satisfy you more than that that kid you're with." Green was close enough to hear Marie's breathing quicken. "I'd leave you begging at my feet for more."

Letting Marie's hand go, Green was satisfied when she stood up suddenly, and plucked Marie's drink out of her hand. The older woman just stared back, blushing faintly and looking bewildered. "But you're too old for me" Green said nonchalantly as she waded through the crowd and on to her friends.

Making her way to Marta, she could see a decent sized crowd gathered around Marta and Francis as he was finishing his apology. It was stiff and more than a bit forced, but it seemed genuine enough to Marta, who accepted the apology in full and even shook hands amiably with Francis. The expression on his face told Green that he found this public torture very irksome. Francis turned when Green approached, and smiled again in that crooked sort of way that made Green sure he was thinking of something disgusting. He completely ignored Marta as he walked up to the smaller girl with a smile on his face.

"Well, I suppose all that's left now is the shoes then?" Francis asked, and he seemed just a little bit too eager as he dropped down to one knee.

Green put her foot in his face, not in the mood right now for this. "No dice, creepy. Move along."

Wiping his nose slowly, Francis looked to Green with a glare. "I hate you. You're going to pay for this" he said, so angrily and sulkily that Green found it a bit childish. Francis was ignoring the laughing of the crowd as he took off his glasses, and wiped off the footprint that Green had made on one of the lenses.

As Francis scurried back to Marie's side, Green glared after him until she was swept up in a bonecrushing hug. Marta was laughing gratefully as she gripped Green tighter. "Oh, you were great Green! I'm so proud of you!"

Smiling back at Marta's collar bone, the only party of Marta Green could see, Green patted the larger girl absentmindedly on the shoulder. "Yeah, well. It's no big deal. Stop hugging me so much, I have a reputation to keep now" Green suggested as Marta slowly put her down.

"Congratulations, Green!" chimed Red and Janine at the same time. They both froze, and glared at each other as they realized what had happened. Green rolled her eyes and ignored them both. It was probably easier.

Round three passed without much more concern. Red and Janine's matches were difficult, but they both managed to barely pull through against their opponents. Green was a bit annoyed that neither of them lost and solved that problem themselves, but on the other hand she didn't have to seem like she was favoring one over the other. Green was focused more on round four already anyhow, and couldn't spare extra concern.

Round four was fought against a factory worker named Corey, who battled using a Skarmory and a Magneton that were tough, but both fell to Charmeleon and her powerful new fire attack. Red battled a hardy mountain man named Rowsdower who fought with an Onix and a Machoke, barely winning as Ivysaur took out the man's Machoke with some well-placed razor leaves. Janine battled Jimmy, a sailor that fought with a Scyther and Gyarados and won with Golbat and Nidorina.

Almost before Green realized what was happening, the fifth round was beginning. the tournament boards shone down at Green the knowledge that she'd be facing off against Blue in a few minutes. Getting up and stretching, Green was ready for her number to be called as she glanced casually around the room.

That's when she saw him. Giovanni. He was watching her from the back of the crowd, and smirked as he turned and walked off towards the stairs. A large man walking past Green's field of vision, obscuring the stairs for a precious few seconds, and by the time she had ducked around the man to get another look, the mob boss was gone.

Hesitating for a few moments next to her chair, Green watched the spot where Giovanni had been. Well, supposedly been to be fair. It was another one of those moments where your mind played tricks on you, and suddenly it was hard to be absolutely positive that she'd seen Giovanni, and not some guy with a thin mustache and a suit who had ducked out to take a pee.

"Um, Green they're probably waiting for you." Marta said brightly, a bit of uneasiness creeping into her voice as she looked into Green's faraway expression.

"Right... the match..." Green said slowly, feeling suddenly completely uninterested in the tournament at all. She tried to just get herself to move towards the Coliseum, but each time something kept her feet rooted to the ground. It couldn't have been Giovanni. But if it was then that was really bad and serious. It couldn't have been though. Right? "Um... I think I'm not gonna do this. I just saw Giovanni."

The other three turned to follow Green's gaze at once, and they all looked back with confused expressions. "Just now? That's silly Green, why would he be here? This is such a crowded ship!" Marta said pleasantly, smiling indulgantly at Green's scowling face.

"Danny's not here either. And Nurse Joy wasn't there. Even that announcer was different. I think it was Giovanni." Green looked back towards the stairs and back to her group. Red and Marta looked unconvinced, but Janine looked as if she was thinking the situation over seriously now.

"But the whole SHIP is full of pokemon trainers! Why would Team Rocket be here? You only have a few more minutes until you're disqualified, Green! I don't want you to lose to Blue!" Red encouraged, making an attempt for logic.

"A ship full of trainers that are all right here in this room" Janine interjected in a hollow voice. Her face was turning a bit white. "...and they haven't been healing the loser's pokemon."

Everyone considered this quietly for a moment. Marta looked wildly around the room. "Well, we should go tell someone! There's got to be a coordinator we can discuss this with..."

Janine's eyes snapped to Marta. "No. Absolutely not. They'd have told someone already if they weren't in on this. We have to go and talk with the Captain. We should have seen this earlier. Bruno not coming back was something we should have been more concerned of. Alright, we need to leave right now if we're going to do this. Just head for the stairs. Don't stop for anything."

As Green grabbed her bag and released Charmeleon, she was turning to leave when a hand grabbed her wrist, stopping her fast. Green turned, and started in surprise to see Blue. He looked confused as he frowned into Green's face. "Where are you going? Our match is going to start in a minute or so. You need to hurry if you don't want to lose." Blue smiled in that antagonistic way, but it faltered once it met Green's intense, angry look.

Pulling her wrist harshly out of Blue's grip, Green scowled fiercely at Blue. "You know what Blue? I don't fucking care. You win. We got something important to do."

Green had only gotten a few steps, slightly catching up to the rest of her group when a hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. Blue looked concerned and annoyed. "Look, tell me what's going on. If it's serious then let me know."

Hesitating at first, Green relented after a moment. "Team Rocket. We thought we saw the boss of Team Rocket going up. We're gonna go and tell the Captain. It may be bad, since all those tournament people are missing."

Blue nodded once, and set his face into a serious straight line. "Alright. Let's go."

That surprised Green more than she let on, but this wasn't the time for more conversation than necessary. Green simply nodded back and rushed after the rest of her group. Blue ran behind, and Green could hear his Wartortle let out a "tort!" as it ran along behind its' master.

As they made their way up the flight of stairs and into the promenade, it was clear already how dead the rest of the ship was in comparison. There were three other people on the floor, one janitor that was using the opportunity to mop up the marble floors, and a young couple on a bench that were obviously using the opportunity to make out. They all took a moment deciding where to go before a map was located, and it was discovered that the Captain's Suite was located across the deck, near the helm of the ship. They found the nearest doors and came out into a whipping wind that was rocking the ship very slightly from left to right. They could hear the distant jangling of chains across the completely abandoned deck of the ship.

Crossing the deck as quick as they could, there was another one of those moments where Green felt a little bit foolish. There was absolutely nothing out here. She wouldn't be surprised if Danny was dining with the Captain or something. Then, there were two men, stepping out from behind a smokestack. They were both dressed as sailors, but that only proved to be reassuring for a second. The tall man was bulky and blonde, and Green remembered the name Gutman coming to the forefront of her mind. The smaller guy had that familiar shock of white hair, and Green remember his name as Cook. With a sinkin feeling she turned around, and saw both the young couple and the janitor running up the stairs, pulling on the black hats with the red R on them. Charmeleon was hissing at them, gums pulled back from her fangs as she snarled defiance. Wartortle and Ivysaur stood to her left and right, glaring fiercely at the two Rocket grunts.

"Hey hey, it's those two! The girls that ruined out chances of getting good with the boss!" called down a mocking voice. Cairo swung down on a rope dressed in a sailor suit, her blue hair done up in a bun. She grinned nastily at the kids now caught in a ring of Rockets. "Sorry, but we need all of your pokemon everyone. If you don't comply we'll just take them by force."

As Cairo reached for her pokeballs, everyone else present did the same, so for a moment there was just the rustle of cloth. Everyone threw out pokeballs, so that there were two circles of pokemon facing off against each other for a moment. Charmeleon broke the standoff first, snarling as she launched a stream of fire at Gutman's Arbok. Ivysaur snagged Cook's Mightyena as it started for the fire lizard, and Wartortle charged Gutman's Makuhita.

As the battle raged on, neither side having a clear advantage over the other, Green let out all of her pokemon except for Beedrill and Ralts. Now that the Rockets were tied up here with the battle someone needed to slip away and get up to the helm. Everyone else was so intent on the battle that Green didn't think about trying to get one of them to assist. There was a gap on the starboard side of the ship, between cook and the side of the ship. There was a ladder there that presumably led to the raised part of the deck that housed the helm and captain's quarters. She waited until there was an opportune moment, and then she ran as fast as she could for the exposed ladder. Reaching it with no problem, Green turned around to see no Rockets following her, though Janine and Red were looking after her with expressions of shock. Green climbed the ladder as quick as she could, heaving herself up and over the ledge at the top.

Having barely gotten to her feet, Green had just turned around to scout around this raised section of deck when she noticed a person, standing there and watching her. She didn't even get to yell as he said, "Poison Jab."

A Croagunk, standing in the shadow of a pipe, leapt down in front of Green and jabbed her with a glowing purple hand. There was the physical pain of a blow from the creature, but there was also the poison. It felt terrible, as if someone had injected scalding lead into her guts. The pain drove Green to her knees, and her hands flew to her stomach.

"Well, I'm not surprised." Gloated a voice full of smug superiority. Giovanni stepped out next to the figure that Green was dimly aware of as Harper now. "It's our little friend who stole our legendary pokemon."

It was only then that Green realize that she was in a lot of trouble. Her only chance now was to keep talking as long as possible. Her eyes flicked down to her pokemon. Charmeleon was too busy fighting with Arbok and now Seviper as well to notice anything. Regirock was swinging huge lumbering blows against his opponents, missing as often as not. Breloom and Snorlax had apparently decided to team up, and they fought back-to-back against the young couple of rockets from downstairs. Green considered reaching for Beedrill, but decided against it when she flexed her fingers. The pain was seeping through her body now, making every muscle movement ignite when flexed. "Not to sound stereotypical, but you're totally not gonna get away with this. There's too many trainers down below for that to work!" she managed to yell. Geez, it even hurt to speak.

"Two of your top pokemon being unconscious really doesn't help any trainer out. Plus, we'll be locking the entrances soon. I'll be surprised if anyone else even makes it off that deck." Giovanni lit a cigar, and puffed at it appreciatively in the whipping winds. He gestured to something in the water. "Look out there, girl. Tell me what you see."

Turning her head slowly, Green could see what looked vaguely like a tornado on the water. It was staying perfectly still however, save from the occasional ripple as the cyclone shook like a rickety Jenga stack. It looked like it was just a fixture in that spot of the ocean. Green managed to nod, and started reaching for her pouch. "A stupid whirlwind."

Harper stomped on Green's hand, making her howl in pain as Giovanni roared with laughter. "Close. It's a fortune waiting to be had. It's really too bad you didn't want to see sense. I liked you." He turned to Harper, and jerked a thumb at Green before walking off. "Kill her."

With a mirthless grin on his face, Harper reached down and grabbed Green by the front of her blouse, yanking her off of her feet. Green's hand managed to slip into the pouch as he walked her slowly over to the edge of the ship, where they could clearly see the churning black ocean over the hand railing. Green's questing fingers found a pokeball, and she gripped it tightly.

"You made me look like a damn fool down there at Cerulean City kid. I'm gonna enjoy this..." Harper reached for Green's throat with his free hand, and Green lunged for his hand with her teeth. Harper howled in pain as Green sunk her teeth into his hand, and as she refused to let go Harper was forced to drop the girl to her feet, using the hand formerly holding the front of Green's blouse to punch the girl across the face.

Green was driven to the ground by the blow. She felt horribly sick and disoriented as she tried to scramble upright; but Harper grabbed her blouse in one hand, yanked her up to eye level, and threw her bodily over the handrail without any more fanfare. Green's shoulder bag slipped off and hit the deck with a soft thump as her body soared over thin air.

There was a long moment before Green dropped out of sight. Green saw Charmeleon, who must have noticed Green's plight. It was screaming and running, snarling unintelligibly as it began to shine with a brilliant white light. Green saw Harper, laughing, turn in confusion as he heard something approaching behind him. Green saw Janine and Blue, both staring back in horror as they rushed towards the ladder leading up. As Green dropped out of sight, there was a horrible scream that must have come from Harper, and that was the last thing she remembered before hitting the water.

Waking up slowly in a dark, crushing space, Green felt oddly peaceful. She figured she must have blacked out for a moment, because the surface was nowhere to be seen. As she also observed a few bubbles slide lazily out of her mouth, Green also figured that she must not have taken a breath in a whole minute or longer. While her whole body was on fire now, however, there wasn't the urge to do anything particular about it. There'd be no way to swim back to the surface now. Part of Green just told the rest that there was no reason to worry anymore. If she would close her eyes now, then that would be the end of the game. Death was in every rulebook.

Something dislodged itself from Green's hand. It began to slowly float to the surface, and it was only a strange curiosity that made Green reach up painfully and grab the thing before it floated away. A pokeball. Moving a finger slowly, she pushed the button in the center. A flash of light, and a pokemon appeared. Ralts. Oh, good, Ralts. Green smiled and began to close her eyes as Ralts looked confused, and then began thrashing after Green, reaching for the slowly sinking girl. It looked too small to swim well however, and as Green's eyes closed there was that flash of white light once again.

The next time Green awoke, she was hacking and breathing wildly as a pokemon jumped up and down on her chest. Hacking and spitting, Green knocked the offending pokemon off and looked around wildly. They were back in their suite. Turning to the pokemon, Green was shocked to see Kirlia standing there, looking concerned as it bustled around her. Ralts hadn't been able to fight the water with his small arms, so she must have evolved into Kirlia to reach her and then teleported them here.

It took a good five minutes to get to the point where Green felt she could stand. Feeling dry as a bone she stumbled to the small kitchen's sink, and drank the strange-tasting tap water right from the faucet. It felt like salt was coating her throat. Green had the urge to vomit, and ended up spewing much more water than she'd taken in. Seawater, probably. Goddamn Harper. Green looked around to give Kirlia a weak smile. "Thanks. I think I owe you one there."

Kirlia stood patiently as Green cleaned up a bit. Once she was sure that she could walk properly again, Green pulled a sandwich and juice from the mini-fridge as she left the room. She drank the juice gingerly as she ran down the hallway, eating bites of the sandwich when she was sure she could stomach it. Kirlia barely kept up, running full tilt after her master.

When Green reached the edge of the balcony overlooking the promenade, she saw people hustling about all over. Rockets for the most part, though there were small pockets of trainers scurrying here and there, trying to get away from the mayhem or at least retreat to a more advantageous position.

Summoning Beedrill as well, just in case, Green found a stairwell and ran down flights of steps until she reached the bottom, breathing heavily. Green looked around for a moment, orienting herself before dashing towards the wide-open doors leading to the deck. A Rocket jumped in her way, pulling out pokeballs and grinning, but as Green yelled "confusion!" Kirlia flung the man out of the way, sending him careening onto a table and rolling off onto the floor.

Even as the man groaned, two more Rockets stepped out to meet Green, blocking her way to the doorway. The hairstyle on the woman alone told Green that it was Nurse Jessie, though she had on a small, tight shirt with a large red R and a very short skirt with high black boots. Her partner held a rose, was dressed in a much more modest outfit with a large red R on the chest, and he had long blue hair that fell over his face. Even the Meowth from earlier was standing there on its hind legs, grinning as it brandished its claws.

"Who the hell are you guys?!" Green barked, annoyed at the constant stream of distractions.

All three figures grinned widely. "Well, since you asked... prepare for trouble..." began the woman in a smooth voice.

"And make it double..." the man chimed in, sniffing the rose dramatically.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"You're Jessie and James!" Green said, the knowledge slamming into her mind before their stupid motto even ended. Both Rockets stopped, and scowled at Green in annoyance. She didn't notice, and pointed to Meowth. "And he talks! He talks!" Green felt ecstatic. Some of that lost knowledge had come back! True it was only about these two, but it had come flooding back! It had been that stupid motto that had done it. Green couldn't help but smile wide.

"Well, thank YOU for ruining the best setup to use that speech we've had in a while!" James whined, looking sulky as he crossed his arms.

Jessie narrowed her eyes. "Well, I suppose we'll have to teach her some manners."

"Everyone says that. Geez, don't you people have any non-cliche sayings?"

"How about, we're gonna beat you up and take your pokemon?" James said, pulling out a pokeball. His action was mirrored by Jessie.

"Yeah, we're gonna make you pay for not lettin' me say my one line!" Meowth remarked, looking upset.

"Well that's kinda cliche too. But whatever. If you wanna fight, I'm ready" Green stated, stepping back to allow her two pokemon to come forward.

Jessie and James both threw their pokeballs, releasing an Arbok and a Weezing that faced down Green's Kirlia and Beedrill. Both sides eyed up their competition, and there was a long moment of silence before either side made a move.

"Smokescreen!" James commanded, and Weezing obliged with a cloud of fumes that billowed about, making the area dense with a blinding smoke.

Green could barely see Jessie as she laughed. "Poison sting!" Arbok sprayed Green's pokemon with tiny needles, though they didn't seem to do much damage.

Beedrill didn't wait for an order but instead zoomed in towards Arbok, arms flashing as it jabbed at the snake furiously. It seemed thrown by the smoke however, and the snake had no problem flowing evenly out of the way of the blows. Kirlia surrounded herself with a blue glow, and suddenly Weezing stopped its smoke bellowing as it was slammed into the ground, hard.

Wrapped up in the action as she was, Green didn't notice Meowth until he leapt out of the smoke at her, teeth flashing in a wide grin. "Myaah! Hand over dat Regirock kid!"

Lashing out with a fist, Green caught Meowth in the face and sent him tumbling to the ground. "If I had the damn pokemon I'd be using it to beat your asses! Don't be stupid you little bastard!"

Wiping the blood from his nose with his front paw, Meowth managed a grin. "Well, judgin' from how your pokemon are doin', we'll probably take da rest of 'em anyhow!"

Green could see that Meowth's momentary distraction meant that Team Rocket had teamed up on Beedrill. Even as she watched, Weezing sprayed a wave of purple bile that knocked Beedrill out of the air. Kirlia tried to help the other pokemon but the smoke made her miss and smash a random fallen chair against the ceiling instead of Weezing. Arbok moved in and clamped down on the fallen insect with a powerful crunch of the jaws, and Beedrill's frantic buzzing stopped. Green felt bad for the bee as she returned it. Beedrill had some bad luck in battles.

Both Jessie and James grinned as their pokemon both turned to Kirlia, who began shaking with fear as the larger pokemon advanced. Arbok lunged as Jessie commanded it to use Bite, while Weezing rushed in to tackle its trembling opponent.

Kirlia had her arms over his head and was screaming in terror, but when her eyes opened next they were glowing a dark red, quite different from the faint blue his Confusion attacks had been making. The advancing poison pokemon stopped suddenly, a foot away from Kirlia. They looked confused, the pulsing blood red aura holding them motionless as Kirlia used Psychic. Then Weezing was slammed into the floor, Arbok into the ceiling, and then both pokemon were brought sharply together in mid air with a thump that sounded deep and painful. The pokemon collapsed into a heap on the ground. Kirlia glared at Meowth, who had been inching up behind the psychic pokemon, but Meowth knew when to back off and laughed nervously as he slunk away.

Jessie and James looked a bit unnerved by Kirlia as they returned their pokemon. They looked towards each other, shared a grim expression and glanced back at Green. "Fine, I suppose we'll have to use our secret weapon!" James said gleefully, pointing behind Green with a triumphant expression.

"Yes indeed, the thing behind you!" Jessie agreed, pointing as well.

Even as Green turned to look she realized how stupid it was to do so. Looking back towards the duo, she wasn't surprised to see that the two had taken the moment to sprint down a hall and out of sight. "Team Rocket's outta here!" they called in unison.

Meowth ran behind them, stopping and glaring at Green as he held his bleeding nose with a free paw. "Just you wait kid. We'll be giving those pokemon of yours to da boss soon enough."

Green considered chasing the Rocket trio down, but it seemed a shame to let the oldest trick in the book NOT work after so much setup, plus there was pressing business on the deck of the ship. Exiting through the doors, Green saw that it had begun to pour again, sending sheets of rain across the gently bobbling surface of the ship. Nobody was in sight, and so Green returned Kirlia before sprinting towards the helm with her arm held up to block the rain.

Making her way up the rickety stairs she had used earlier, Green searched frantically for her bag but it was nowhere to be found. The bottom of the ship's handrail was solid, with small holes to let out excess water, so there was no chance it had slid into the ocean. Letting out a frustrated grunt Green decided to just forget about it and continue to the helm. She found the large iron door unlocked, but still struggled to get it open in the storm. Her whole body still ached, and all of this strain was making her moan with pain as it creaked open, allowing her to slip in before it boomed close again. There were stairs, which Green took as quickly as her body allowed before reaching another door that she flung her shoulder against, banging it open as she burst into the room. "Alright motherfuckers, who's ready for an ass kicking?!"

It was only after she'd spoken that Green scanned the room properly. There were technically two Rockets, the fake young couple from earlier, but they were tied up into chairs with Regirock and Breloom guarding them silently. Red, Marta, Janine and Blue were staring at Green open mouthed. The Captain looked a bit roughed up, with a jagged gash across one cheek and a bloody nose, while Danny was lying nearby with a nasty looking head wound. Nurse Joy was tending to Danny, and there were a couple of sailors standing about looking concerned. Everyone was looking at Green now, and she could only blush at the silent attention.

"Green!" Red yelled first, pushing past everyone else to rush forward and grab her in a huge hug. "We saw that guy throw you over the edge! Charmeleon…" he broke off as if he'd touched a sensitive subject. "How did you survive?"

Janine was a step behind Red, and as soon as he let go she scooped Green up in her own hug. "We were scared to death. Please don't do that again." Green considered ribbing Janine that she couldn't help being thrown over railings, but once she saw the tears Janine was shedding she just smiled bravely and accepted it.

Marta just smiled and wiped her eyes as she watched the reunion, while Blue just huffed and looked away as soon as he could see Green was alright. Breloom covered the room quickly to be next to her master and made a contented noise when Green reached down to pet her on the head. Green grinned around at her friends, but looked serious when her eyes fell on Danny again. "So, what's going on? Shouldn't we be gathering up and searching the ship for Team Rocket members or something?"

"The members of Team Rocket have begun to leave the ship. Some have taken the life rafts, others flying away and still others using teleporting pokemon. We have begun a search of the ship, and have ordered all remaining crew and passengers to go to their quarters." The Captain said as he gained his composure. "The assistance of you five trainers has been invaluable, and I thank you, but I'm afraid I must insist that you return to your quarters as well. We shall perform a sweep of the ship soon, and hope to be back up to normal working order within the hour."

Looking around the room for Charmeleon, Green answered without looking directly at the Captain. "That's not good enough! They're going to be doing something out on the ocean! Giovanni mentioned it before he ordered me killed!"

"She's right" moaned Danny. He sat up, clutching one arm with the other painfully, and looked to the Captain. "They were asking me about the Whirl Islands. They're not far from where we are now. There was a rumor about nights when cyclones sang into the sky. I think… if those rumors I heard were true then they may be trying to do something much worse than steal valuables."

"I will take that into due consideration" the Captain responded smoothly. "For now, I must insist that yo-"

"Christ, is everyone deaf and stupid?! Team Rocket took the time to invade a cruise liner JUST to get a shot at those Islands! If you won't get off your fat ass and do something about Team Rocket, I will!" Green yelled, and stormed out of the room after grabbing her bag from an open chair and returning her pokemon.

Green had only gone about halfway down the steps before someone caught up. "Wait, Green! Don't do anything reckless! You just got thrown into the ocean!" Janine called as she managed to put a hand on the rushing Green's shoulder, stopping the girl.

Looking through her bag in that moment, Green pulled out what she recognized as Charmeleon's pokeball and opened it up. It simply creaked open, revealing only the interior of the ball itself. "I'm fine Janine, really! Now where's Charmeleon?"

Looking awkward, Janine opened and closed her mouths a couple times as she tried to form the right answer. Blue supplied it for her. "She killed the man who threw you overboard after evolving into Charizard. Then she flew off. We've seen her tail flame around the ship. We think she's been looking for your… body."

Not waiting for another word, Green pulled herself out of Janine's grasp and sprinted down the stairs with renewed vigor, pushing the large door open with hardly a thought to the pain as she ran out into the pelting rain again. She ran to one edge of the ship and began looking frantically out into the storm, hoping to catch a glimpse of a flame. Sure enough, there was a flash of red light that Green noticed diving towards the water, skimming the surface before rising again. Green screamed out into the raging storm, but for all the good it did she could have been spitting.

"I think I can get Charizard's attention." Blue released a Growlithe, and leaned down to whisper an order in to the dog's ear. Growlithe nodded, concentrated for a moment, and then belched a stream of fire straight into the air. There was a moment where Green was sure Charizard hadn't seen anything, but then the flame noticeably swung towards the ship, and Green could see Charizard skimming slowly over the water. Once she saw Green, she let out a roar and pounded both wings in an intense blast of speed.

Blue, Janine, Marta and Red had to dive away at once as Charizard crashed down onto the deck between them and Green. The impact of the dragon's weight on the deck made a deep thud that made Green scan for cracks. Green could see Charizard's back to her, wings spread wide to shield her from the others. Raindrops hissed off Charizard's blazing tail as she bellowed out a roar of rage, teeth bared and flames licking from her mouth and nostrils. Everyone slowly backed up, and as Charizard checked that the others were at a safe distance, she turned to look at Green with gentle concern.

Green could see at once why the others had backed away. Charizard was matted with blood in the front, where the stains had run from her jaws all the way down to her white stomach. Even as she reached out her maw towards Green, she gently dripped red as the rain washed off the color. Charizard had a curious expression of fear on her face as Green didn't immediately respond, and her whole body drooped. Green, having only paused because of the shock of it all, reached out and grabbed Charizard's head and pulled it into a hug. "Oh, I'm so sorry that you had to do that. I'm sorry I scared you" she whispered gently, and the two just sat there for a moment in silence.

Patting Charizard on the head, Green dropped her hand, and began to climb on Charizard's back even as the dragon leaned down to let Green climb aboard. "Alright, we need to go right now, Charizard! You guys, follow me if you can!"

There were cries of protest, but Charizard kicked off before Green could say another word. Then there was only the whipping winds and stinging rain that sucked all noise into a crashing crescendo of sound. As Green tucked her bag in between herself and Charizard, she could tell that the dragon was obviously having some trouble navigating the storm. She bucked and dived through the buffeting gale, and Green could only shut her eyes and hold on for dear life as the world spun and weaved.

After a few heart-pounding minutes, there was a sudden stop to the rain and wind. So sudden it made Green sit up, expecting some sort of foul play as she looked around wildly. The air was hot and balmy, not to mention dry as a bone. It looked as if the rain ended where the cyclone began, and the water was calm rather than raging. It was almost as if the cyclone was doing the exact opposite of what it was supposed to do, keep warm and calm air in while disrupting the air around it. That was impossible though. As Green wiped off all the excess water she could with one hand, she looked down and saw what must be the Whirl Islands, four huge lumps of rock arranged in a vaguely square shape. She began scanning the water for a boat of some sort. Spotting glimmers of light from the furthest island, Green urged Charizard forward.

"You couldn't just wait up, could you?!" yelled a voice that made Green jump. She looked around to see Blue, dripping wet and scowling as he came up fast on his Staraptor. She could see Red, lagging behind as he was carried by Pidgeotto, and Janine grabbing onto Golbat's legs as it flapped desperately to keep up. The other two pokemon looked much more worn out after the trip.

Shrugging, Green threw him a grin. "No, not really. Where's Marta?"

"She's riding on Gyarados." Blue said gruffly as he pulled level with Green and jerked a thumb down. Sure enough, Jeffey was plowing through the water while Marta stood atop his head, riding the calm rapids. "You didn't have to act foolish like that. You're acting like a reckless idiot! I'm really sho-"

With a snort, Green stuck her middle finger up at Blue, who looked shocked at the gesture. "Oh, fuck you buddy. I could honestly care less what YOU think." Charizard grunted, and dipped lower as they began to pass over the targeted island, leaving a speechless Blue rushing to catch up.

Charizard landed with a thump on the beach, and let a grateful Green off. It wasn't terrible riding on Charizard, but it made your back stiff holding on so tight. Now that Green had a chance to look around at the beach properly, she could see a covered boat with an engine pulled up onto the sand. Whoever had left it had obviously not bothered with concealing the boat's location. There was a few minutes as everyone caught up, landing on the sand and stretching for a moment to get the soreness out of their muscles. Green was personally curious how Golbat and Pidgeotto managed to carry their trainers, especially considering how Pidgeotto must have weighed seventy pounds, and Red seemed like he weighed at least ten pounds more. That was even being generous. Green decided not to pursue the topic however, as it could only end in more confusion. At least Janine wasn't riding a Zubat.

Marta was the last to arrive, and she returned Jeffey after giving him a pat on the nose and assurances that he had been a good boy. "So, let's go right?" Marta asked, glancing to the large and foreboding entrance to the cave.

"Yeah, let's go show Team Rocket what we're made of!" Red cheered, returning an exhausted Pidgeotto and letting out his Ivysaur.

Green rolled her eyes as she caught her breath and headed for the cave mouth. The others sprinted along after as they neared the edge of the cave mouth, but two figures detached themselves from the darkness around the cave mouth and barred their path. They were both men, dressed in the black Team Rocket uniforms and boots that were considerably nicer than the white uniforms Jessie and James had worn. One was black skinned, with a small afro that looked comical given the situation. His mouth was set in a serious scowl, and he adjusted his sunglasses with a touch of annoyance. The other man had pale skin and long black hair, slicked back in a way that made him look sleazy if his posture didn't accomplish the task on its' own.

The Rocket with the afro dropped his hands down to his pockets, taking out a cigarette and a silver lighter. The lighter clinked audibly even out here as he lit the cigarette alight. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave your pokemon here and turn back."

Snorting, Green rolled her eyes. "Dude, we've been steamrolling Rockets like you all day. What makes you think you two douchebags have a chance?"

Both men threw out pokeballs at once. "We're not grunts, kiddo" said the man with the slicked back hair, grinning as his Skuntank hissed and snapped at Ivysaur. "I'm General Vincent."

A Donphan appeared in front of the afroed man. It scowled at Charizard, growling deep and low. "I'm General Jules. The boss contracts out assistance when little bastards like you butt in. When we beat you I'm gonna break you in half little girl, unless you give me your pokemon."

"I'm not scared of you! Charizard, Flamethrower!" Green cried, spurred on by pure adrenaline.

"Light Screen!" yelled a voice, and as Charizard's flame careened down towards the enemy pokemon it hit a shimmering golden wall and dispersed harmlessly. A woman with shoulder-length black hair leapt lightly from a palm tree where she must have been watching. A Grumpig leapt out of the bushes to stand next to the other two pokemon, looking smug at Charizard's outraged expression. "You didn't introduce me! I'm Mia."

"You're not a General too? You're old enough to be one!" Green mocked, even as she started to get a sinking feeling. These guys all looked thirty at least, and their pokemon were practically begging to get a shot at their opponents. They really needed to get past these guys and get inside, but these guys were blocking the only entrance. If that Grumpig could stop Charizard's flamethrower dead then these guys were no joke. Behind her she could hear Marta and Janine releasing pokemon. Bayleef and Nidorina ran past and stood next to Ivysaur, joining the faceoff.

"I don't feel the need to inform people of my status when they won't give a damn." Mia smiled, and though she was obviously trying to remain calm a vein twitched in her forehead. "And I am not old. Now, what shall it be?"

Ready to crush these new Rockets and test out Charizard, Green was surprised when Blue grabbed her shoulder. "We need to go. Right now. I think these three are just a distraction for what's going on inside. There's got to be another entrance to this place."

Nodding in agreement, Green looked to Red. "Hey, think you can hold these guys off for us for a little bit?"

Red smiled, his Ivysaur lashing out at Donphan as the elephant pokemon tucked in and sped towards the plant pokemon. "We'll be alright, Green. Go! Hurry!"

Green motioned to Charizard, who bent down to let her climb aboard again as she threw a smile to Red. Mia scowled, and threw out another pokeball. "Oh no you don't! Xatu! Barrier!"

Mia's Xatu came soaring out of the pokeball as Charizard took off, but before it could summon a wall to impede their path Janine's Golbat had soared out and chomped down on its' side. The bird screeched, turned to Golbat and blasted it with a brilliant multicolored beam that knocked it to the ground. The momentary distraction had given Charizard time to fly away, and Green was sure to give a grateful look to Janine as she soared off with Blue trailing behind on Staraptor. It already looked as if the guys were at a disadvantage, as Bayleef was attacked by a frothing Skuntank.

It only took them a half-circle of the island to find something. Near the top of the island, around the back there was a dark crack in the stone that turned out to be large enough to allow Green and Blue to slip in, forcing both to return their pokemon before they could go on. Charizard didn't seem to like the idea of letting Green out of her sight, but didn't put up too much of a fuss once it was promised she'd be let out as soon as there was room.

Crawling on their hands and knees, Green and Blue pulled their way deeper into the crack, and for a few minutes they were both certain they'd made a bad move as the light faded gradually. Finally, Green's questing foot slipped into a large open area, and she found herself cautiously dropping down into a dark and horribly humid hallway. The sheer hot moisture in the air was making her break out into sweat at once as she tried to let her eyes adjust to the darkness around them.

Charizard was let out, flooding the corridor with the light from her tail as Blue dropped lightly into the corridor. He released his Wartortle, and took a minute scanning the hallway before speaking. "Do you feel something?"

"Yes, I feel like it's hot enough to boil an egg or som-"

"No, no. Just be quiet and feel the air." Blue snapped.

Standing still more out of anger than willingness to comply, Green could feel what Blue was talking about almost at once. The air wasn't still, but gently moving in one direction, namely deeper into the caves. It seemed to be actively pulling in the balmy air from outside. "That's weird… is it sucking the hot air down inside? Whatever, let's follow it" Green said, not thinking any more about it as she sprinted down the hall, Charizard keeping up as best she could in these cramped spaces while still trying to provide light. Wartortle ran ahead of Green, scanning the hallway for dangers and looking back occasionally to make sure he wasn't leaving everyone behind.

As they ran down the corridors, taking turns and weaves depending on how they felt the air flow, they needed to turn back and correct course a number of times. Green was sure that there were pokemon in the caves, but she got the strange impression that all of the pokemon were purposely staying out of the way. Eyes watched the four moving figures, and noises sometimes followed the group out of rooms, but no creatures even showed their faces. At last, Green turned a corner and saw Wartortle staring down a huge shaft. There were a number of different openings all around the lip of the shaft, and Green could feel that heat as each opening funneled out a constant stream of hot air. It all combined to give this hallway a horrible, wavering quality to the air that made the both of them pant like dogs.

"Let's go. It must be down there, whatever it is" surmised Green as she looked over the edge. There was a sort of spiraling rim of rock that went down into blackness, and Green was trying to decide how best to get down when a voice cut through the air.

"You?! Will you not just die? It was cute at first, but now it's a bit frustrating" Green stiffened and turned quickly to see Giovanni glaring at them as he walked out of the adjacent cave mouth. Next to him walked a Nidoking, and the thing barked a challenge at the other two pokemon. It began scanning for the best way to get over to the opposing pokemon even as Giovanni walked to the edge and glared across. "How did you get past the others in front?"

Charizard looked like it wanted to fight Nidoking as it snarled and roared an answer to the challenge, and Green barely held her back before answering in a calm tone. "Our friends are dealing with them out front. You're beat, Giovanni."

He glared back, and Green was uncomfortable to see the hate in his eyes. He had been so joking, so indulgent at Mt. Moon. Of course, he didn't seem like a man who enjoyed being crossed. "You're a fool. Your friends will lose. There's a reason I pay those three so highly. As for you two, I will have no mercy. I will give you one chance to turn back now."

"Wartortle, Water pulse!" Blue yelled, even as Green shouted, "Charizard, Flamethrower!" The water ball hit Nidoking first, driving the pokemon back and making Giovanni scramble out of the way. The cone of fire flowed over it next as Charizard flew into position, making the thing roar in fury as it thrashed in the intense heat.

Nidoking looked furious as it didn't even wait for an order from his master, but instead took a standing leap at Charizard. Green was sure the large purple pokemon would just fall to its' death, but the jump carried it straight into Charizard and right into the opposite wall with a sickening crash that made Green actually cry out in shock. She could see that Charizard was still fighting, struggling against the larger pokemon and snapping at his face with her jaws, but she was obviously tired and wounded. Her breathing was labored, and when she blew another gout of fire to drive the large pokemon off it was noticeably smaller than her last.

"You need to recall Charizard, you idiot! You need to get down there!" Blue shouted as he grabbed Green's shoulder and spun her around to face him. Wartortle was attacking Nidoking with a glowing blue tail, but the thing seemed much more intent on the large prey as Charizard snarled at it.

"Hell no! She can still fight, right girl?" Green shouted back, turning to look at her pokemon. Charizard looked up at Green's questioning tone, and Nidoking took the opportunity to deliver a wicked blow to Charizard's exposed face. The pokemon teetered slowly on the spot, and then dropped slowly over the edge, wings fluttering uselessly as the pokemon lost consciousness.

Green screamed again, and a cold numbing fear gripped her gut. She ran and jumped out over the edge, dodging Nidoking's tail even as he swung it to trip her up. Her jump had been long and meant to get as much as distance as possible, and so Green was surprised when she hit the wall right above one a rim of stone on the far side. As she struggled to her feet, she marveled that she hadn't just dropped to her death, but realized she had more pressing matters. She now had a clear shot to return the falling Charizard. Green pulled out the pokeball, and after one awful moment where she fumbled to get the thing the right way up managed to return Charizard before she hit any sort of floor. Green sighed in relief.

"Get moving, you idiot! Don't you know an opening when it hits you in the face?!" Green looked up wildly to see Blue, glaring down angrily as the sounds of battle raged up above. From Giovanni's side the sound of another pokeball opening was heard, and Blue reached wildly to his belt and threw out another pokemon to counter. "Go!"

Green ran down the steps as fast as she could, and tried to ignore Wartortle's cries of pain and Nidoking's screams of rage. _Damn, Giovanni's pokemon were fucking tough!_ Thoughts of the battle quickly left her head however as she descended down into complete darkness rather quickly. The heat here was incredible, and the rim here was so tenuous that Green eventually had to pull out her pokedex, using the small screen to light the floor as best as possible.

The angle of the steps evened out. Slowly and carefully, Green reached a leg behind herself and felt around. A solid durface tapped under her toes. Green released the wall and looked around wildly as she wiped the sweat out of her eyes, and pulled her completely soaking hair out of her face. She was regretting the fact that she never changed out of this damn dress. It was practically in tatters now, pink strips of cloth only loosely separating her legs from the open air. One of her shoes had gone missing, probably back in the ocean come to think of it, though her sunglasses had stayed. Odd that. Her blouse had ripped in a number of places, and her underwear was soaked complete through and scratchy with the dried ocean salt. It also felt like there was gonna be quite a bruise on her face from Harper's punch, come to think of it. She blamed skirts in general as she looked around the room, smacking her lips and feeling how dry her own tongue was. It was positively baking in this room, and the thirst from all of this heat was nearly driving Green to her knees. There were two noises here; a rush of water that must have been an underground river or something, and a steady dripping that came from a small pool of water nearby. Dropping to her knees next to it, she tasted the water out of a cupped hand experimentally. Deeming it fresh enough, if a bit sour and hot, she drank deeply.

Something in the water caught her eye. It was oval-shaped, silver, and sticking above the surface. Green stared at it for a moment. Then, unexpectedly, a crack ran rapidly across the surface and splintered into a spiderweb of fractures. The air in the room, which had been churning slowly, stopped at once. Fragments of the shell began falling away, and a small creature pulled its' way out of the shell, blinking in the vague light let off by Green's pokedex. It was large, around two feet, and it was already blinking its' eyes as it glanced around. It was unmistakably a Lugia.

Numbly, Green lifted her pokedex to scan the thing. Sure enough, a Lugia. Well, this was considerably more awkward than the Regirock situation. The thing lifted its' head and let out a sharp cry, and the air in the room began to noticeably flow the other way. It cooled the room, as if the arrival of the baby creature had caused this change in air currents.

There was a light that caught Green's attention. There was someone coming down the spiraling lip of rock. who had some sort of light. "Your friend fled, girl! You're mine!" yelled the voice of Giovanni.

Her gaze flew to the small creature, who was extending its head to inspect Green closely. It made a happy noise in the back of its throat as it looked eager, probably for food. "Look, I feel like a dick for this, but my hand is forced, kid." Green said, patting the small pokemon gently on the head before pressing a pokeball to it. The Lugia looked surprised as the red light engulfed it, and the newborn didn't put up much of a fight before the thing stopped shaking, and the pokeball disappeared. Green felt like a bit of a shitheel.

A crash from across the room made Green whirl around. Giovanni was hopping to the floor next to a Nidoqueen, who looked fresh and ready for battle. Green reached to her belt and whipped out Regirock as she stood up to face the leader of Team Rocket. He looked furious as he glanced around the room, eyes falling to the shards of shell as he placed a small lantern on the ground. "You have it, don't you? The Lugia?!"

Setting her face into a scowl of defiance, Green folded her arms. "You bet I do! It's already sent off too, so good luck getting it now!"

Giovanni's face became so suddenly and completely smooth and charming that Green was taken aback. "Listen, Green. These creatures have a unique and celebrated control over weather. Do you realize what we could do with that power?! This night was the most perfect opportunity for this operation to succeed. The parents of the egg apparently swim around these islands, making the unique reverse whirlwind you saw. The conditions it creates are the proper ones to hatch a young Lugia. Once the child is born it halts the storm. We're already feeling the effects! Don't you see the possibilities of this kind of power?!"

Face set into a scowl, Green's answer was quick and to the point. "You tried to kill me, you fuck! Eat my dick! Ancientpower!" Regirock glowed, and sent rocks slamming into Nidoqueen, sending the thing off balance.

"Earthquake! End this nonsense!" Giovanni screamed in a furious rage. Nidoqueen stomped heavily, and it send a noticeable surges of energy rippling through the ground. The whole room began to boom and shake furiously, and Regirock was caught off balance as it was shaken violently, bouncing it around viciously. Regirock couldn't seem to get up, and Green was forced to return it. She sent out Kirlia, not liking these odds as Nidoqueen eyed up her opponent, the tremors coming to an end. "I'm not going to stop with you now. Once I get that Charizard it's being given to a lab and it won't see the light of day again. They'll suffer what you can't."

"Psychic!" Green cried, not liking where this was going. Nidoqueen was surrounded by a dark red aura, and roared in pain as it thrashed on the spot. It rushed at Kirlia, and gave it a vicious shoulder slam that sent the smaller pokemon flying into a heap. She tried to get up slowly to face Nidoqueen, but it was obvious that the psychic pokemon was outgunned. Kirlia hit the rushing pokemon with another psychic blast, but Nidoqueen stayed upright and delivered two quick kicks that knocked Kirlia to the ground. She moaned, and slowly got to her knees even as Green took out her pokeball, about to return it.

Nidoqueen was suddenly returned, a move that made Green feel completely thrown. She hadn't even used Snorlax yet. Giovanni had released Claydol, and has his hand on the thing. "Good luck with the parents" was all he said as the two vanished.

The silence of the room caught Green off guard. There was still the dripping and the sound of the wind, but something seemed to be missing. Turning slowly, Green turned around to look at what had happened to the underwater stream. Even in the small light left behind by Giovanni, Green could see two huge Lugia looking down at her. They were both making faces that told her that they were less than pleased. Green's mouth felt dry as paper as she smacked her lips. "Look, I know this looks bad, ok? But hear me out. We're going to Olivine City. I'll release your kid as soon as we get there. I promise. Look, if that guy would have caught your kid then… um…" Green's voice faltered as the two continued their silent glare.

The left Lugia's white and blue head shot forward, whether to sniff her out or simply snap her head off she never found out. It was certainly big enough to do so. Kirlia got between the two, and smoothly pressed her head to the incoming Lugia's. It paused, and considered the small pokemon for a bit. It pulled its head back, and it exchanged a glance with its mate. Then, silently, the two sank back into the water and disappeared from sight with only a quick glance from the left Lugia. That glance told Green that her word was considered accepted for now. Emphasis on for now.

Green let her heart stop thundering as she sank down to the ground, breathing heavily. Two quick saves. Kirlia was looking at Green with concern, and she patted her head pleasantly as she got to her feet. "I'm fine. Just a bit of a tricky situation. I'm gonna return you, I think you're more beat up than me."

Kirlia tried to brush off the implications, stepping away and standing up straight to prove she wasn't hurt, but it was undermined as a twitch in the leg made Kirlia stumble. Green smiled, genuinely touched. "C'mon, I won't hold it against you" she said as she returned the small pokemon back into her ball even as she started to protest.

Green had grabbed the small lantern and was nearly halfway up the corridor before she heard anything. A faint voice called something up near the surface. "I'm here!" Green shouted, not caring if it was Blue or even one of those new Rockets, Jules, Mia or Vincent. Whoever it was she really just wanted to get it over with.

After a moment, a couple of heads popped over the edge of the drop. "Green?" Janine's voice called down. "Are you ok? Green!"

"I'm coming up!" shouted Green as she continued to shimmy along the rock ledge.

"We're lowering you a rope!" an authoritative voice Green didn't recognize called, and a knotted black rope fell with a thump onto the cave wall. Green shimmied to it and grabbed hold, and almost immediately felt the pull of the rope as the people up top heaved her slowly up.

Janine was smiling so brightly at Green that it lifted her spirits considerably as she was lifted out of the drop. "You're ok? Where's Giovanni?"

"He got away. I… he was angry that there was no pokemon down there like he thought." Green said, opting for A truth, if not THE truth. She noticed a man there in a blue wetsuit, standing next to Blue, who spoke before she could speak.

Blue was frowning at Green's expression. "You got out ok? I barely made it out in time. His pokemon were incredibly strong."

Nodding, Green looked away. "He said I wasn't worth it and left after he beat Regirock and Kirlia with his Nidoqueen." Glancing around quickly to avoid any more awkward questions and stares, Green changed the subject. "Red? Marta?"

Letting the subject drop though he still looked suspicious, Blue answered the question. "They're back at the entrance of the cave. They left once these guys showed up."

"Officer Goode" the man said, flashing a badge he fished from under his wetsuit. "We had a bad feeling when it was announced Team Rocket was coming here. You said you found nothing, girl? Are you positive? It's very important to tell me if you found anything down there."

There was a long moment as Green pretended to think for a long time. "Well, there WAS some weird shards of silver..."

The man summoned a Pelipper. "I'll be right back. Stay here until I return" he ordered, and was gone down into the dark before anyone could say anything. There were a few minutes as they all stared down into the hole, and then he came back out, his Pelipper flapping evenly as they rose back into view. "I see" was all he said as he returned his bird and motioned down a random tunnel. They all silently walked down the side passage, until they could all see the approaching light of the cave mouth after a few minutes.

There were a few people milling around on the rain-strewn beach. There were a couple of sailors that Green recognized as being from the ship, and a couple more trainers in those blue wetsuits, both male and female. Two of them were questioning Marta and Red, who looked harangued as they answered question after question. The man that was with them walked swiftly up to his comrades and whispered something to the two of them that made them both nod and leave their charges alone. The guy motioned for Green to come and see her allies.

"Green! What happened in there? They keep asking if we saw anything! You look terrible! Are you hurt? What happened to your dress!?" Marta asked, her eyes wide as she looked to Green for some kind of answer. She looked so terrified that Green reached up and grabbed her firmly by the shoulder, and waited until Marta's breathing had calmed a bit before speaking.

"I'm fine, Marta. Really. I'm fine. Team Rocket's done with this place I think."

Marta smiled back after a moment of indecision, and grabbed up Green in a rib-grinding hug that made her wheeze. "I'm sorry Green. I just get scared whenever you run off like that."

Even as Marta let her go, Red walked up as if he was going to give a hug as well, but he turned it into a shoulder pat at the last moment. He coughed awkwardly as he nodded, trying to look tough and confident. "You did great, Green! I knew you'd stop Team Rocket!"

"Well, we'll bring you back to Olivine City whenever you're ready to go" explained Goode, smiling at the display of affection. "We've got a man with a boat waiting to take you back."

"You mean to the ship?" Green asked curiously, accepting a blanket that someone offered her and wrapping it around her shoulders.

Goode looked uncomfortable for the first time as he tried to find words. "Well... it seems like the five of you may not be let back onto the ship. The captain's very upset at the fact that you left, and he does have permission to kick you off the ship after all." Seeing the looks of outrage on their faces, he quickly added, "Look, I'm sure he'll see sense once the situation's been explained. Even if not, I can assure you that we'll find you a ride home one way or the other. Now, I'll go and make sure your transportation is ready. By the way, on behalf of the Johto Coast Guard, we have to thank you for what you've done here. It could have been... very bad if Team Rocket had managed to complete their goals. Whatever they were."

As Goode walked away, Green let her face drop from the blank expression she'd had on into a wash of relief. Marta, Red and Janine began grumbling to one another about the unfairness of life in general, while Blue just sat down and leaned against a rock, closing his eyes and letting out a long sigh of relief at finally resting for a moment. Green wished she hadn't let Snorlax drink the rest of the alcohol as she looked out over the ocean and realized how sober she was.

Eventually a woman in one of the blue wetsuits walked up, smiling down at the five of them as she adjusted her blue-green hair. "Hello, I'm Officer Jenny. Goode tells me that you need a transport to the shore?"

"Yes indeed. Sorry, for a moment I thought you were Officer Jenny." Green said, nodding to herself.

"That must be my cousin over in Cerulean City! My, I haven't seen her in forever. Please, give my love the next time you head through. Ready to go?" asked the Officer.

The trip to Olivine City was completely uneventful. Officer Jenny chatted amiably about various topics, mostly to Marta, who was the only one really paying attention. Red and Janine had taken up seats to the left and right of Green, and she was uncomfortably aware of the two glaring at each other whenever they thought she wasn't watching. Blue entertained himself with his pokedex, which he didn't look up from until they docked at port around an hour later.

Hopping off the boat as Officer Jenny tied it to the dock, Green marveled at the sheer amount of people. They could all see the SS Anne docked further along, and while some of the people were people from the ship, most were obviously either people from town that were curious or authority figures keeping order in the milling crowds. "Wow, there's really quite a turnout! How did everyone hear about the situation anyhow?"

"Well, I think your friend Red could explain that." Officer Jenny said with a wry smile. "We were watching the seas tonight, what with the cruise ship out and typhoons about. Then, we get a sudden five-second transmission on the emergency channel on our radios." She smiled at Red, as if inviting him to tell his brave story to Green.

Red looked as if he would have been much happier if this story had never gotten out. "Um, I told them that the ship had been taken over and they killed you" he mumbled quickly. "I only had the radio a second before that guy Gutman smashed it."

When Green didn't respond, not knowing what to say, Officer Jenny seemed to realize she'd just made a really awkward situation. "Well. Um, let's get you to the police station. The hotels here are booked, but we made you up a little room in the back. Plenty of room for sleeping bags!" she exclaimed brightly, smiling in an overly cheerful sort of way. Everyone exchanged a miserable glance, and trudged along behind, none mentioning that their sleeping bags were technically still on the ship.

As they all pushed their way through the crowd, Green wondering how early she could slip away from the group and get to a pokemon center, heard a voice that made her jump. "You! Ruffian! I want a word with you!" The Captain pushed his way forcibly through the crowd, face completely red as he glared down at Green, who had frozen in place like a deer in headlights.

The others slowed at the voice as well, and looked on silently as Green composed herself, putting her hands on her hips and glaring up at the Captain. "Yeah? Well I'm here. Say your piece."

"Captain!" shouted a reproachful voice as Danny pushed his way out of the audience in pursuit of the larger man. He was walking normally again, though he did have a large bandage on his head. A couple of the sailors followed behind, looking uncomfortable at the behavior of their boss. Danny placed a restraining hand on the Captain's shoulder. "I must protest this attitude. Members of your own crew went out after-"

"After I told them to. Be SILENT. It is my ship and I have privileges as such. I have no qualms with leaving you behind as well. I will not be denied my words here by you or anyone." Captain Malcolm let the words sink in, and he waited for Danny to remove his hand before speaking again, turning his full gaze on Green. "I knew you were a little hellion from the moment I saw you" he hissed through his teeth. The sheer anger in the words made Green falter just a bit. "But after my ship has been nearly taken over you decide to… play vigilante and subvert MY authority in front of MY crew?!"

A number of people had stopped to watch the scene now, a fact Green was uncomfortably aware of even as she struggled for something to say. "Woah, there was Team Rocket, they were trying to-" she started to say, but her voice just wasn't strong enough to even be heard over the Captain's bellow.

"If there is a problem on MY ship I will deal with it as I see fit!" The Captain was completely red in the face now, and a vein throbbed on his neck.

"Sir, I think you're being a bit unreasonable…" Marta hazarded, stepping forward and holding up her hands consolingly.

"I have nothing to say to you, only your friend. Stand back, or-" he began, waving a finger and making Marta take a step back in terror.

"Or what sir? I'm sorry I just can't hear very well." The Captain turned on the newest interruption, but froze as a camera looked back. Even Green hadn't noticed the presswoman push her way through the crowd, but she was certainly here now. She had long, blonde hair and a blue suit that screamed 'professional woman' almost as much as her confident stance. "I'm Alyssa, with Johto News. I'm glad I was able to find both of you at once." The woman smiled as her cameraman silently filmed the Captain's response switching to Green and Marta every now and then as the man just stood there, the red draining from his face.

"I… was just telling this young lady that she broke a direct order, and she is being ejected at this port" The Captain responded smoothly after a moment's hesitation. Green was impressed. His face was flat now, and even. No trace of the anger was there now.

"Some would protest that were it not for these children no warning transmission would have ever been sounded." Alyssa spoke coolly and without a hint of hesitation, her microphone moving smoothly to her mouth and back towards the Captain again.

"While it is true that these children DID send the message, should my crew have been given a bit more time they would have accomplished the same task." The Captain seemed to realize how ridiculous those words were after a moment, but Alyssa was already moving on.

"If they weren't being rescued you mean?" she asked innocently.

"Not ALL of my men needed saving!" he shouted back, a twinge of annoyance entering his voice. He went red once he reviewed his words.

"I see. Green, is it? I hear you're the young girl that ended up assisting the Johto Coast Guard with the incident at the Whirl Islands. Would you care to comment on the situation?" Alyssa asked Green, turning away from Captain Malcolm.

"I am shocked and saddened, but I understand that sometimes one must be punished for the mistakes of others in this cruel world. This will not stop me from doing right when the time arises, however." Green looked as sad as she could as she gripped her hands behind her back and let the blanket open a bit, just enough to let the camera catch the state of her clothing. She'd been thinking of something to say since the cameras arrived. It may have been a bit melodramatic, but that was ok. The media thrived on melodramatic..

"We could all learn something from your perseverance. Tell me, are you trying for the Pokemon League challenge?" Alyssa inquired, smiling gently as she proffered the microphone.

"Well, yes ma'am. I have three badges, and I was going to get my fourth when I got back to Vermillion City." Green was acting as meek as possible, looking at her remaining shoe as she traced circles on the ground

Alyssa was grinning to herself as if she could smell the ratings as she turned to the camera. "There you have it, viewers. Sometimes a good deed does go punished. With the next boat to Kanto not leaving for up to three weeks, young Green has lost precious time on this year's Pokemon League Challenge possibly even denying her a chance at the Elite Four. Truly-"

"Wait, hold the fucking phone!" Green shouted, and Alyssa even stopped suddenly as the focus of the audience shifted back towards her. Green looked to Marta, wild-eyed. "What does she mean, denying me a chance?!"

Marta looked uncomfortable as the focus of the audience shifted to her. She stared around at the faces before responding. "Well… the Pokemon League Challenge only happens every three years. That's when they open the doors up and let people who have eight badges come in and fight each other and try fighting the Elite Four. The doors stay open for three months, then close until three more years, and a new Pokemon Champion is formerly announced."

Green turned a furious glare at the Captain, and took off her sock with a slow and deliberate motion. She reached into her bag, pulled out an empty pokeball, and slowly fed it into the neck of the tube as the audience watched, stunned into silence. When the ball reached the bottom, Green spun the sock experimentally. The ball gave the sock a little bit of weight at the end. Perfect. "Let me back on your ship." Green demanded.

"Young lady, I will not even conside-umph!" The males in the audience, and even the cameraman, winced as Green swung the thing up and around and cracked the man square in the crotch with the weighted end of the sock. The ball probably weighed around a pound, but that's all you needed when you had it swinging at the end of something spinning. The man dropped to his knees, bringing his head around level with Green's. His eyes swiveled around, apparently looking for some sort of assistance, but everyone just stared back as if silently asking the man what sort of assistance a full grown man needs against an 11-year-old girl.

Green was spinning the sock slowly, and she grabbed the front of the man's shirt. "Let me back on your boat right now. I've had the roughest day imaginable, and I swear to god I will do my best to bash out one of your eyes if you tell me no right now. They'll take me away but you'll have no fucking eye" she snarled through gritted teeth, spittle flecking the stunned man's face. "I just found out I got less than three months and you wanna shave off three weeks?! You asshole, you… you!" Green was spinning the sock faster and faster, her eyes getting bigger and fuller of insane hate with each word. Green hadn't been stopped yet probably out of a combination of shock and the fact that she was half the size of the Captain, but that spell broke now, and people were moving now. Danny grabbed her wrist and yanked the sock out of her hand, while Red and Marta grabbed her bodily and pulled her struggling furiously from the Captain's sight.

"Green… that…" Red struggled to find words as he watched a couple of sailors help the Captain to his feet. Danny walked up and began to speak to the man, as Alyssa gleefully filmed every moment and asked questions to the two. "That was the coolest thing I've ever seen. I think he was crying a little bit.

Grinning at Red, Green gave him a sheepish thumbs up. "I'm pretty sure I just didn't get punched because I'm a girl. But thanks, it's good to know you're a fan. Well, let's go. I'm sorry I ruined getting back on the ship." Now that the adrenaline was rushing out, the voice telling her that was a bad idea was coming in. Damn. "I probably wouldn't have even beat out his eye anyhow. He'd have gotten away long before that."

"I don't know. Johto News comes on over in Kanto… I don't think we should leave just yet." Janine was smiling as she watched Alyssa talking rapidly to Danny. "I mean, think of it. Unless they suddenly paint you as being some lunatic, which wouldn't be far from the truth apparently…" Janine grinned as she shot a glance to Green, who made a face at her. "The Captain has no choice but to let us back on board. You know how bad he'll look for stranding the kids that saved the ship? Even if he would have eventually saved the ship, the fact is that we did."

Sure enough, after a few minutes Captain Malcolm was helped off towards the ship by two sailors, and Danny walked purposefully up to the group with a smile on his face. Alyssa followed behind, and the rest of the crowd surged behind the newswoman like a flock of sheep. "Green, I'm pleased to inform you that the Captain has decided to reverse his decision. You and your friends are of course let back on the ship. You are required, however, to stay away from the Captain for now on." Danny said pleasantly, handing over Green's sock with the pokeball inside.

"Done!" Green reached out and shook Danny's hand heartily. "He won't even see me."

As Danny walked back off towards the ship, smiling the smile of a job well done, Alyssa came in for one more question. "Wow! You're quite the little firecracker, Green! Can we expect you to be the next Pokemon Champion?"

Green snorted at the question as she turned to leave. "Hell yes." The audience surrounding Alyssa had mixed reactions, some mumbling disapprovingly at the violence or the swearing, but she could hear a couple of people cheering and whistling. It made her smile.

The group found out that even though they were allowed back onto the ship, they'd still have to bed in the police station for the night due to the ship getting a complete sweep for anything suspicious. Green didn't even care. She needed to release that Lugia, but she also just wanted to lie down for a little bit, or at least until the tumult died down. She was steadily getting more and more exhausted now that she was getting the proper chance to slow down, and she ended up summoning Snorlax and riding on her shoulders the rest of the way to the station. While everyone else talked amongst themselves, Green set her alarm even as she assured a grumbling Snorlax that she'd get a drink later.

By the time they got into the room they were to all be staying in, a rec room, they were all so tired they just didn't care. Blue and Red grabbed a couple large and cushy chairs near the television and appeared to doze off almost at once. Marta took one end of a couch, and Janine took the other. Green flopped gratefully down onto Snorlax's stomach, who had laid down in the middle of the room and begun to snore gently, and curled up into a ball. Before she could even think about it too much, she was asleep.

The electronic beeping of the pokedex drove Green back awake and blinking around. The room was completely dark, save for a vending machine in the corner, letting off a soft light to illuminate the treats inside. Feeling hungry as hell, she stumbled to the vending machine and inserted a bill. She bought a few different items, and began scarfing them down hungrily. Snorlax woke up at the smell of snacks, but Green returned her before she could make her way to Green. As she did so, a thought ran through her mind. The Lugia.

Making her way out of the room as silently as she could, Green walked down the silent hallway leading to the front doors. There was an officer on duty, but he looked deep into his phone conversation, and didn't seem to notice as Green slipped out. The town was nearly as quiet as the inside of the building had been. Four hours had turned the packed streets practically empty.

The pokemon center was quiet, and surprisingly empty as Green entered. She stopped and got her pokemon healed up, except for Beedrill. Walking to the computer terminal, Green logged on and deposited the bug pokemon. After a moment, she found and withdrew Lugia. She expected Professor Oak to appear, but unlike last time it was silent. Perhaps the Professor hadn't the chance to check the new incoming pokemon yet. Green retrieved her pokeballs before heading out again, this time to look for a suitable spot to release the Lugia at.

Along the port wasn't possible, as there were always people walking about. So Green found herself walking a ways away from the hustle and bustle of the city and towards a large lighthouse situated near the shore. Finally, she found a spot near the base where even someone inside the lighthouse wouldn't be able to see. Taking the pokeball out, Green released the baby Lugia. It blinked in the light and looked around, letting out a soft warbling cry. Green stared at the pokeball for a moment, and then dropped it to the ground and crushed it with her heel. The ball cracked apart. "You're free."

"What are you doing?!" Green jumped as Blue walked out of the woods, strolling up and standing in front of Green and the curious Lugia. "I knew you captured a pokemon in there. Why are you letting it go?!"

"Hey… I promised I would, ok? I can't go back on word, especially to a huge psychic bird." Green glanced out over the woods. A noise had surprised her. "Anyone else there?!"

"Just me" admitted Janine, stepping sheepishly out from behind a tree and waving a hand dismissively. She walked up to the baby Lugia and bent down, interested. "So, you did find something, Green. Wow, he's a cutie, isn't he?" Janine tickled it under the chin, and it chuckled as it tried to keep away, swiping playfully at her hand like a cat.

"This isn't a huge psychic bird!" Blue yelled, motioning to the baby. "It's only…" two figures lifted themselves over the edge, so suddenly and quickly that Blue didn't notice them. "…two feet long at the least!" As Janine and Green just stared at him for a moment, Blue turned around sharply. He went white and stepped back as far away from the baby as possible.

The Lugia on the left reached out and plucked up its child like a kitten. Both parents had a moment as they both let out soft cooings, and they fawned over the child in a way that was very nearly human in its' tenderness. Then, the parent that had taken the child nodded at Green and leapt back down towards the ocean. The one left behind smiled down at Green, reached around to its back and plucked out a silvery feather. It passed the glittering feather down to Green, who took it carefully. It wasn't anything like a bird wing. It was like a combination of a scale and a feather, something light that would also transition well to water. It felt more solid than a feather, but it was still wonderfully soft. Green just held it for a moment, and looked up at the creature still smiling at her inches away. Reaching out slowly, Green stroked the head of the Lugia. It made a deep, throaty and contented noise as Green marveled at the feel of the creature's coat.

"Thank you" said a voice that Green realized had gone directly to her head. She looked up in surprise at the Lugia, who smiled, and with a swish of the body was gone. There was only a faint splash in the ocean.

Green turned slowly to look at Blue and Janine. Blue snorted. "Well, all I know is that I would have kept it."

Nodding, Green conceded the point silently. "Thanks for all your help yesterday Blue. Are you gonna keep coming with us to get the badge in Vermillion once we get back?"

Blue flushed red, and scowled angrily. "Don't get the wrong idea, Green. I was doing what I was doing to stop Team Rocket. I already got my badge from Vermillion anyhow." Blue turned and started back for the city. "I won't battle while we're on the ship. Fair's fair and I want a break too. The next time we meet after that you'd better be ready for a fight."

Green sighed at Blue's retreating back. "I don't think he's ever gonna be completely cool with me." She glanced at Janine and grinned. "That was cool with those Lugias though, huh?"

"Yes," Janine replied, smiling back. "I was impressed you let it go."

"I didn't earn it." Green pulled out the silvery feather, and ran it through her fingers. "Maybe one day. Hey, I don't wanna go back just yet. I kind of like it here in the dark, with the wind."

Janine's hand reached down and intertwined in Green's. "Do you mind if I stay with you? We can watch the ocean."

Pulling her hand out of an astonished Janine's grip, Green glared at the taller girl. "Look, I need some questions answered. I mean, we hardly know each other."

Smiling slyly, Janine grabbed Green's hand again and pulled her over to the lighthouse. They both sat down next to it and laid their heads against the cool stone surface as they watched the dark ocean. Janine let Green's hand go, and turned her full attention upon Green. "That's true."

"Well for one thing, how old are you anyhow?"

"Fourteen. I know you're eleven."

Nodding, Green went on. "So, you were my age the last time the Pokemon League Championship went on, right?"

"Yes… that was shortly after I started my journey and got my starter… I went travelling with my father." Janine still answered in a jovial tone of voice, but it was obvious that this was somewhat of a painful subject to her. The smile on her face fell almost at once.

"You mentioned your dad before. What does he do?"

Narrowing her eyes, Janine studied Green's expression for a moment. "Fine, I'll tell you but you've got to promise not to make a big deal of it." Green nodded eagerly, motioning for Janine to continue. "He's Koga. The Fuchsia City Gym Leader."

Green didn't see what the big deal was, but nodded as she considered. "That's pretty neat, right? Having your dad as a gym leader?"

"You'd think so. It was neat once. My mom died when I was nine, and I remember how dad used to be before that. He'd only leave the Gym open on weekdays, and we'd go to the safari zone or to Celadon City on the weekends. Mom liked to shop, and she always said that the department store had everything a human or pokemon could need." Janine had her arms wrapped around her knees, and Green reached over and gently took one of her hands. Janine looked surprised, as if she didn't expect Green to do that.

"Go on" Green encouraged.

Taking a deep breath to settle her beating heart, Janine continued. It was obvious she hadn't talked about this much, maybe ever. "Well mom died from some rare illness she got. She was in bed one day, and we thought she had the flu. Then, suddenly we were calling the doctor because she wouldn't wake up from her nap." A tear rolled down Janine's cheek, and Green moved in closer. Janine laid her head on Green's shoulder gratefully. "Dad changed after that. He had the Gym open every day. At night he'd go into the Safari Zone looking for more poison pokemon. He challenged a lot of people who came through town, even if they weren't there for a Gym challenge. He was obsessed with getting stronger. I think he was trying to honor my mother. Mom was always a pretty good battler, after all. She always said she was gonna get the rest of her badges one day and try for the League, but she never got around to challenging dad in a formal match."

Letting the words sink in for a moment, Green gently prompted, "So, when you and your dad went travelling?"

Smiling, Janine looked wistful and happy as she remembered better times long ago. "Yeah. He brought me my Nidoran home one day, and asked me if I wanted to come with him as he went on a trip. Even Gym Leaders need to have eight badges to challenge the League. I agreed, since it was the first time my dad had really asked me to do something significant with him in a while. He left the place in the care of my aunt Aya as we set out on foot. We went all around, and that's when I caught Skorupi, Zubat, and Koffing. I wasn't so focused on completing the challenge back then. I was mostly content to cheer on my dad as he beat the gyms. He was so confident back then. Then we went to the Indigo Plateau." Janine's face became glum again. "He was beaten by some guy who only used three pokemon against his six. We hadn't even reached the Pokemon League. I just remember dad turning back, and when I asked him if we could still go try he shouted at me not to ask stupid things. We went home, and we hardly talked the whole time. When dad got back home he continued running the Gym seven days a week. He was always upset that I hadn't taken more the time to train my pokemon, and I remember when I was thirteen he told me he wasn't even considering me as a successor to the Gym."

"So, that's why you're going around to the Gyms now then. You want to get further than him?" Green asked, listening closely. It was interesting to her to hear about screwed up pokemon families.

"I want to beat him" Janine said fiercely. "Not the team he uses to fight people who come to the Gym. His team."

"I thought Gym Leader used their personal pokemon to battle anyhow?" Green inquired, looking puzzled.

Janine considered. "Well yes, for the most part. You don't need to be an incredibly strong trainer to be a Gym Leader, just a consistent and intelligent one that gives challengers a chance. Some of the Gym Leaders have other pokemon that they keep in their Gyms that aren't meant for battling challengers. They're from the old days when they might have attempted the Pokemon League or something. Hey, that's enough of answers for me." Janine lifted her head off Green's shoulder. "Your turn. Tell me about your family."

Green paused for a long moment before responding. The simple fact was that she knew nothing about her parents here. She decided to just go for the facts she was sure would be there. "Um, I live with my mother. My father's been gone on a pokemon journey for as long as I can remember. My mom apparently makes a living sitting at home and offering for me to take a rest."

"What?" Janine looked completely bewildered.

"Look I'm not very close to my parents. I've always been looking forward to this pokemon journey for that reason. I just… don't have strong ties with them." Green had a moment to regret not even speaking to her mother in this world. In hindsight, it would probably turn out badly in that regard. She'd probably be pissed that Green didn't stop by to see her before leaving, and also stealing her alcohol. She decided to change the subject again. "Well, it's nice to find out more about you. I thought you were older than 14, honestly."

Janine drew Green's hand in close again, turning it palm up and tracing lazily on the surface with the tip of her finger. It made gooseflesh prickle up her arm. "Is that enough answers?" Janine asked gently.

"No" Green said, and though she considered pulling her hand back she just couldn't. Janine looked very serene as she traced the lines of her palm delicately. "Why do you like me? Why do you keep travelling with me?"

"Well you're the first group of trainers that I've bothered trying to come along with. I travelled alone on a ferry to Pallet Town and I hiked north to Pewter City. I never really knew the other kidsl in Fuchsia City very well, and the ones I did left town at eleven. Plus… I dunno, I can tell you think I'm attractive. Even before that night. I feel… connected with you. You're also very knowledgeable about pokemon."

"Am I the first girl you've liked?" Green shot back. It was true that she felt comfortable with Janine, but she didn't exactly know about connected. She got the impression that Janine might not have known many kids even before the others left. Janine was nice, but judging from how she treated Red she could be quite a bitch to the right people.

Stopping her tracing for a moment, Janine looked up at Green as if judging the question at multiple angles. "If you're asking if I've liked girls before you then the answer is yes. I've also liked boys too, I'll have you know." Seeing the questioning expression on Green's face, she elaborated. "Your friend Blue's cute, for example. A bit of a snob when t comes to the company he keeps, but cute."

"Blue?! Geez, I think he's a huge dick. Anyway, look, I might like you too. Granted. But what do you want to do about it? Become… girlfriends or something?"

Janine shrugged, and intertwined her fingers into Green's hand. "Do we have to call it anything? Can't we just… enjoy the company? Watch the sunrise?" Her eyes were burning for an answer, but Green could think of no response.

As Janine turned away and faced out over the ocean, she draped her free arm around Green, who blushed heavily as her head was rested against Janine's shoulder. Green wanted to say something, but everything that came to mind sounded either harsh or just insulting. Finally, she gave up, and let her body unwind as she enjoyed the body heat in the crisp early morning air.

Green was sure she could see a silvery flash out over the ocean, like a huge dolphin, and smiled to herself as she closed her eyes. She was asleep before she knew it.

END ACT 3


	4. Chapter 13

Chapter 13-Are Made of This

Green woke up slowly, stretching out and yawning as she pressed her face into the soft pillow. After a long moment of silence, Green realized she couldn't hear the breathing of her two bedmates. Rolling upright, she glanced around for some kind of explanation. She was in the plush, king-sized bed in their room aboard the S.S. Anne, but both Marta and Janine were curiously missing. Now that she looked around, all of the luggage was gone as well. Even the shopping bags Marta and Janine had brought aboard from the few hours they'd had in Olivine were gone. The room felt eerily quiet and empty. They had all gotten back on the ship the previous day, and they were supposed to be getting back to Vermillion that night, so there was some chance that the luggage was just in the living room.

The faint hiss of the shower from the bathroom drew Green's attention. She remembered there being a shower curtain on the large ornate tub, and felt relieved. Someone was just taking a shower. Green flopped bodily out of bed with a smile on her face.

Two more differences registered at once in Green's mind as she touched down. For one, she was naked. Secondly, she now unmistakably had a penis. Reaching up frantically to her head, she could feel the short hair that was unmistakable as Rudolph's. Her… his mind hadn't noticed somehow, apparently. He must have been used to it subconsciously. Running to a mirror against the door of the room, he confirmed the strange facts. He was definitely now a he, except everything wasn't quite back to normal. Rudolph had been twenty, but the boy looking back out of the mirror was eleven, the same age as Green. Rudolph had mixed feelings as he touched the mirror slowly with his fingertips; confusion was most prevalent, followed by relief and finally a pang of regret. This was unexpected, and it changed the situation for better and for worse.

The sound of a faint melodic voice drew his attention. Rudolph looked around the room and in the closet for any clothes at all, but apart from the furniture there was nothing. Shrugging, he walked softly to the door leading into the living room and opened it a crack. A light was on, showing a completely clean and empty living room. The door to the bathroom was half open, and he could hear that low and melodic humming over the hiss of the water. Walking quickly from the master bedroom to the guest room, Rudolph opened the door just enough to peer inside. Maybe if Red was there he could steal a pair of pants or something. The room was dark, the beds made and the whole place had a feeling of disuse. Where had everyone gone? How had they taken everything in the place like that and just left without waking him up?

Realizing there was only one place left to go, Rudolph cautiously glanced at the open bathroom door. That incessant melodic humming was throwing him off. He walked towards the door, paused at the threshold, and then steeled himself and just entered.

The steam was heavy as Rudolph glanced about. The shower must have been turned up to the hottest setting, because steam filled the whole room, fogging up the mirrors and making a fine mist fill the air. He could see the figure of a woman in the bathtub, slowly running her hands through her hair as she hummed to herself. The curtain hid her from view, but she was too tall to be Janine. Rudolph smacked his dry mouth in the wet air as he thought of what to say. "Marta?"

The girl's humming stopped at once. There were a few moments where the only sound was the steady hiss of the showerhead. It was shut off a moment later, and the erratic dripping was now the only noise as a questing arm came out, groping for a towel. It looked paler than Marta's skin tone, and Rudolph had a confused moment as the rustle of cloth on wet skin went on. He wondered why he was so calm, any why no other things to say were entering his mind.

There was something… subtly erotic about the form. She moved evenly; drying her body with slow, smooth movements that accentuated the curves of her body. Rudolph could make her out vaguely through the shower curtain, and he was uncomfortable to feel his erection growing. He was sure that he was intruding on something, yet the woman hadn't screamed out upon hearing his voice, so he probably knew her. Plus, with all the clothes gone what was he SUPPOSED to wear? Still, Rudolph conscientiously moved one hand to cover his genitals. An erection was just hard to stop happening, especially when you were near such temptation.

The towel suddenly went soaring over the top of the shower curtain, where it fell with a wet thwump to the ground. Rudolph picked it up eagerly, and wrapped it around his waist, grateful to have something to hide himself. The woman didn't seem to care about being seen, because she flung the shower curtain aside with a swift stroke, revealing her nude body to Rudolph.

Rudolph's eyes opened wide in horror, and his mouth fell slack. It was Green. Unmistakably Green. She looked around twenty, but while her body was beautiful and well-proportioned, her face was a mask of pure hate. The eyebrows were drawn together, lips pulled back from the teeth in a snarl, and eyes blazing with fury. Rudolph's erection wilted at once as the fear spread through the whole body. Before he could move, Green's arm shot out and grabbed him by the throat, turning his head to get a good look at him. He squirmed, furiously trying to get away, but Green's other arm lashed out and punched Rudolph square in the nose. He could feel warm blood flowing down his face as he stopped thrashing about, and he watched with a horrid fascination as the blood dripped onto Green's arm. She didn't seem to mind as she climbed out of the shower, teeth gritted as she spoke. "YOU! You stole my life!"

"No!" Rudolph managed to gasp, one arm reaching up to grasp Green's. He felt so weak all of a sudden, and Green's nails were digging painfully into the flesh around his neck. "I… I just made a wish! I didn't have a choice!"

Green's other hand slapped away Rudolph's, and then went to his throat as well. She began strangling him now, shaking his whole body back and forth even as he dropped to his knees. Her voice had risen to a voice so full of rage that it made Rudolph wet himself in terror, a dark stain spreading over the towel and dripping onto the tiled floor. The urine mixed with the blood running off Green's arms and onto the floor, and now Green was standing in a horrible spreading puddle. She didn't seem to mind as she shook Rudolph like a rag doll and spoke through gritted teeth. "You think you can just make wishes like that?! You think you have the right?! You couldn't just take the wish back?! You think you're clever, living out some sick fantasy with MY body?! I'll fucking…" She increased her grip, and Rudolph gasped weakly as lights popped in front of his eyes. "KILL YOU!"

Rudolph realized that he could do nothing to the woman as his arms flailed uselessly against her arms, strength sapping away as his vision went dark. Soon he couldn't even hear Green's continued furious ranting anymore, and awaiting the coming blackness with a gratefulness that scared him a bit, Rudolph closed him eyes and succumbed to unconsciousness.

Green awoke then, sitting straight up in bed and letting out a scream, but quickly controlled herself. She was back in her bed on the S.S. Anne, and dressed in her pajamas. To her left was Janine, smiling in her sleep and with one hand reaching out towards Green. To her right was Marta, who had kicked off her covers in the night and was now sprawled out across her part of the bed, looking pleased. Neither had woken up at her outburst, and Green sighed in relief as she tried to slow her thundering heartbeat. It had been a nightmare.

After a few quiet minutes where Green let her body relax, she tried to settle back down to sleep. The nightmare had touched her deeper than she'd like to admit however, and she found herself slipping out of the bottom of the bed once it became clear she wasn't getting back to sleep anytime soon. Deciding that some television would settle her mind, Green slipped out into the living room and closed the door behind her as quietly as possible.

The living room was blessedly dark and quiet as Green sat down on the couch and put her head into her trembling hands. Yes, it had been a nightmare, but reminding herself of that fact was doing very little to put her mind at ease. Normally for Green dreams faded away when she awoke, disappearing like fog even as she tried to remember what had happened. This was the exact opposite. Green was trying not to think of everything that had gone on, and the facts solidified more in the mind. Green heard a faint drip from the bathroom, and for the moment it sounded so like the blood from the dream-Green's arm falling onto the urine-covered floor that it made her clap her hands over her mouth to stifle the small cry of terror.

The nightmare had done more than make Green afraid of some woman she couldn't see. Once again this new body was raising questions. Had Rudolph entered into this body, pushing out the person who had previously inhabited it? Green had been under the impression that this world had sort of been created around her, but now she was just confused. It made her lean back against the couch, leaning her head against the headrest and rubbing her palms into her eyes as she groaned in frustration. This had to be part of the game these stupid shadow guys were playing or something. Messing with her head to throw her off the game. That had to be it.

Green stared at the television screen for a moment, and even picked up the remote as if to turn it on, but dropped it after a moment of indecision. Television didn't have the spark it used to have back as Rudolph.

Her eyes fell on a half-empty bottle of champagne, sitting on the counter in a bucket of melting ice. Marta had bought it once they'd gotten back on the ship to toast their good luck in the recent Team Rocket attack. Walking quickly over to it, Green pulled it out and poured herself a glass with a shaking hand. She hadn't drunk more than a single glass of champagne today, (There had been a quick shot of vodka before sleep but that could hardly count) and she hadn't even thought about it, but now she wanted to get drunk. No, she wanted to get hammered. After downing the first glass of champagne, Green hesitated before grabbing the rest of the bottle. Might as well.

It was nearly an hour later when the guest bedroom door opened up and Red came wandering out, yawning and stretching in his pajamas as he walked to the bathroom. He completely failed to see Green's hunched form in the dark of the living room and entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. When he came back out, shutting off the light and sighing contentedly, he was about to reach the door when the silver gleam of a can in the moonlight caught his attention. Now that he was paying attention, he could see that there was an empty bottle and at least three cans strewn across the table. Green was sitting on the couch, swaying back and forth as she slowly sipped at a fourth can.

"Green? Are you alright?" Red asked cautiously, sitting down next to the obviously inebriated girl.

Turning her eyes in Red's general direction, Green tried to focus. It was hard; in fact, trying to make just one Red was making her feel kind of sick. She had certainly overdone it on the alcohol. "Wuzzat? Red? M' fine. What're YOU doin' up?" She mumbled, never being able to keep her head level or even as it bobbed up and down.

Frowning, Red reached over and pulled the nearly full beer out of Green's hand. She scowled and tried to resist, but Red firmly and unexpectedly grabbed her wrist with his other hand and looked her in the eye as he put the drink down on the table. "I woke up because I had to pee and needed some water. Green. You can't even sit still. You look like you're about to throw up any second. I'm gonna get you some water, and then you're going to tell me what's going on."

As Red turned away Green stubbornly reached for her beer, but Red stopped and picked it up, scooping up all of the rest of the garbage with his other arm. Green scowled after Red, but he was also right about some stuff. For one, she couldn't sit still. Even now, it was much easier to lean against the back of the couch. If she sat up the whole world churned dangerously, making bile rise in the back of her throat. Maybe Red was right. A glass of water wouldn't be bad right now. Red came back after throwing everything away, handing Green a glass of tap water that she still gulped down gratefully. He took the empty glass and filled it up for Green without speaking, who sipped easily at the water this time.

"Can I ask you a question, Green? I feel like we haven't got much a chance to talk for a while." Red was watching Green's face easily, a calm look on his face. Green nodded rather than speak, and Red went on. "Why do you drink? You never used to."

Green stared into Red's eyes, sobering up slightly at the question if only for a moment. "I drink because…" and she stopped. She didn't know how to answer. The comment after the question had drawn all her attention. She reached out and grabbed Red's hand with her own, and looked into his eyes with a pleading look. "Red… Red, PLEASE let me ask you a question firsht." Red looked about to object, but there was a desperation in Green's eyes that made him relent, closing his mouth as he squeezed her hand. "You have to promishe me first. Promise me you won't tell anyone a word of what I'm about to ask you. "

Nodding back encouragingly, Red was suddenly looking nervous. He was also smiling faintly, as if thinking of some sort of internal joke. "Of course."

"What was I like before we went on our journey? Before that day we got our starters."

Looking back blankly, Red tried to understand the question as the smile fell off his face. "Well… you used to never wear pants, for one." Smiling at his joke, his face slowly fell once it became clear that Green wasn't in the mood for jokes. "I don't really know. You never hung out with us a lot. You mostly hung out with Gary's sister, May. You… well; you never seemed much into battling, if I remember right. At least, you never talked about it much. You seemed more interested in the experience of going around and seeing all the pokemon."

While Green was drunk, she could see the smile on Red's face. Normally it would make her feel exasperated, but now it made her furious. She tried not to let it show on her face as she spoke slowly. "Why didn't May come with us?"

"Well, she's a few years older than us. She's studying at the Professor's Lab…" Red looked suspicious now. "How do you not know that?"

Green looked around wildly, and opened her mouth as she thought of what to say. Her whole body jerked, and Green shut her mouth quickly as she felt bile shoot up her throat. Rushing to the bathroom, Green barely made it in time to throw up into the toilet. She sat there, gripping the edge and throwing up what felt like everything she'd just drunk in the last hour. Eventually she was reduced to retching once her stomach was empty, and finally she gratefully slid to the floor where she curled up onto the floor mat. She glanced up at Red, who had wandered into the bathroom behind her. He looked horrified, but still rushed over and helped Green to her feet, supporting her weight by shrugging her arm around his shoulder. Red brought her to the sink and let her clean up.

Red carried Green back out into the living room and put her down gently on the couch. His suspicion had evaporated, and was once again replaced with concern. "I'm going to go get you something to eat, alright Green? I'll be right back. I'll refill your water before I go."

Green watched silently as Red bustled around the condo, not even bothering to put on shoes as he dashed out of the door. She picked up the glass of water and sipped at it slowly. Once she felt like she had a little bit of strength in her limbs, Green got up painfully and wandered to her pack, pulling out Charizard's pokeball after a moment of rummaging. She looked at the ball blankly as she sipped at her water and listened to her empty stomach grumble. Well, this was going to be awkward. Green had just been hoping that Red would ask a few questions and then go back to sleep, but he really seemed to be adamant about getting some answers.

The door was flung open again in just a few minutes, and Red entered carrying two slices of pizza on paper plates. "The pizzeria on the ship is open 24 hours! I didn't know that" he said conversationally as he passed the first piece to Green. It was lukewarm and the cheese was a bit hard, but Green was grateful to put anything in her stomach besides alcohol right now. She scarfed down the pizza eagerly, and Red wordlessly passed her the second piece before settling down. Once Green started on the second piece, much slower this time as she actually took the time to chew her bites, Red seemed to think Green was ok enough for him to continue. "Well... how do you not remember May?"

"I don't know how I don't know May. My memory's a little fuzzy in some areas. I mean, I can still think clearly about some stuff... like my name..." Green trailed off. She had been referring in a roundabout way to Rudolph, her 'true' name, but now there was something horrifying she realized.

What had been Rudolph's last name?

That thought did something that even the nightmare hadn't been able to do. It broke Green. She let her head drop into her hands as she began frantically sifting through her mind for facts about Rudolph. Both parents had been alive, right? Did he have brothers? Green had a vague idea that the answer was yes, but no exact memories floated to the surface. There were snippets of thought and memory left. Rudolph going to church as a kid. Graduating... some sort of school, might have been college or high school, the details were gone. Rudolph's first kiss and first time making love were there as indistinct memories, and Green couldn't even place their names. When had this happened? All along when she had been walking around had memories of Rudolph been evaporating away like mist in the morning sun? Was she going to become... no, don't think that way. Was she going to lose who she was? Had Rudolph... ever been really real? Now, looking back on it, there was nothing REAL about Rudolph in her mind anymore. Memories and phantom experiences were all that was left.

Green felt something wet fall onto her legs and saw that there were tears coming from her eyes. Stupid alcohol was making her incredibly emotional. She looked up into Red's shocked and uncomfortable eyes, her face a mask of horror and misery. "I think I'm losing my mind, Red. Oh God, I think I'm going insane."

Tentatively reaching out to Green with a hand, Red was surprised when he was pulled into a tight and vice-like hug from Green. She was sobbing against his shoulder, and Red could think of nothing to say as he just let her finish.

After an awkward five minutes, Green pulled back and hiccuped gently as she wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry. I won't do that again... there's just... so much bearing down on me suddenly. It seems like it's me versus the world."

Red tried to smile consolingly, yet it was obvious he was a little disturbed by the insanity comment. "Oh Green, you know you've always got friends on your side."

Nodding and smiling gently, even though she still felt terrible, Green lifted up Charizard's pokeball again. "I guess I do, don't I?" She released Charizard, who stretched gratefully in the darkness of the condo before turning to look at Green with a smile on her draconian face. Charizard nuzzled her head against Green once the pokemon took in the red eyes and general state of the girl, and Green just wrapped her arms around Charizard's neck and sat there enjoying the body heat. Turning to face Red, Green was about to ask him some question or another, but when she saw Red's reaction her words died.

Red was leaning back from Charizard, and was giving the pokemon and Green an uneasy look. He looked away once he saw that Green had noticed, but the damage had been done. "Red, do you have something you want to say to me?" Green asked, her voice coming out soft and dangerous.

Looking like he'd rather be anywhere else right now, Red coughed hurriedly. "No, no! Nothing at all! Um, hello Charizard!" Red smiled weakly at Charizard, and the lizard lifted its head from Green's lap to look curiously at Red. He seemed completely on edge suddenly.

"It's about Charizard, isn't it Red?" Green asked, the smile completely disappearing off her face now as she felt the anger sweeping away all other emotions.

"Look… it's just… she killed that guy on the boat earlier, Green! She… she… tore him apart." Red swallowed, and closed his eyes a moment before continuing as if to gather his composure a bit. "We watched, you know. She just tore him to shreds right there, and threw the pieces into the ocean. I mean… if a pokemon hurts a human… it's supposed to be… reported…" Red's composure faltered completely as he stared at Green's hands, which were balled into fists on her lap, the nails digging into the palms enough to draw tiny drops of blood.

"Charizard did that because she thought I was dead. She is NOT some horrible monster. I swear to God…" Green reached out and grabbed Red by the front of his pajama shirt, curling her fist in the material to hold him fast. "If your plan is to go behind my back and report my pokemon as… as some sort of murderous psycho, then I'll brain you. Right in front of the other two if I have to." Green hissed out the last words between clenched teeth. "Do you hear me?"

Red looked bewildered and terrified. "What? No, Green! Please, I wasn't going to tell anyone! I…"

Releasing Red and sitting back, Green turned her head away and buried it in Charizard's side, shutting her eyes tight. "Go away, Red."

Sitting there for a minute, Red tried to find something to say that would make the situation better. He really hadn't meant to show Green that he was afraid of Charizard, mostly out of fear of such a response. He looked into Charizard's eyes, who stared back with a neutral look on her face as Green continued to be still. Finally, with a heavy heart at how the exchange had ended, Red got up and walked silently into his room, closing the door behind him softly.

The guilt was already beginning to tear Green up. She didn't REALLY blame Red for anything. It was perfectly logical, her slowly calming mind told her, for Red to be afraid of Charizard if she tore a human apart in front of him. If they'd been warned before to watch out for pokemon who attack humans, it especially made sense. But… well, Charizard had tried to save her. She'd evolved just trying to get up there in time. Green felt that turning her over to the authorities would be close to a traitorous action. Red probably wasn't going to inform any authorities, Green imagined. Of course it did nothing to ease her swirling pot of emotions.

Charizard merely stood there, making a soft noise in the back of her throat as Green cried again, as if to console the girl. The part of Green's mind that was still Rudolph tried to berate this action, telling the rest of the mind it was being silly for being so emotional, but nothing that Green could do would stem the flow. Green was sure it was just the alcohol making her so weepy, but whatever it was Green didn't think about it again as she sobbed her way into a deep and warm sleep, blessedly void of dreams.

After Green was well asleep, curling up with her arms around Charizard's midsection, the dragon gently settled down into a position where it could wait the night out next to her master. Flexing her wings gently, she draped them around the girl and closed her eyes slowly as she drifted off to sleep as well, and soon it was silent again in the living room. Only the faint creak of the boat could be heard as the two dozed in the dark room.


	5. Chapter 14

Chapter 14-New Complications

Green awoke slowly the next morning, feeling a bit sweaty as she struggled out of the embrace of Charizard, who didn't seem to notice as she kept dozing. It was very warm next to Charizard, and her wings had trapped in some of that body heat as well to make sleeping against the pokemon nearly sweltering. Green returned the large slumbering pokemon as she stretched and looked around the room, feeling her head pounding furiously like a drum. There was someone in the bathroom and the shower was running, but after a moment Green determined it was Janine. She could hear Janine's voice faintly as she sang to herself in the shower. After a moment's hesitation Green got up and walked over to Red's room, entering and shutting the door behind her with a snap.

Walking over to the edge of Red's bed, Green sat down heavily. Red sat bolt upright with a little snorting noise, and looked around wildly before laying his eyes to rest on Green. His face tightened at once, and there was a moment where Green wasn't sure if Red was going to scream or apologize. "Red, look. I wanna have a talk with you."

Red avoided Green's gaze as he slid his legs out of bed and got up. "Look, I know I made you upset last night. I'll leave today. Don't worry."

A hand grabbed Red and pulled him back onto the bed. Green held his shoulder down and glared into his eyes. "No. You're going to have a talk with me." Once Red was let up he didn't try to crawl away, but instead crossed his legs and looked towards Green intently. As Green marshaled her thoughts, she took a deep breath. "It was completely reasonable for you to be afraid of Charizard. I'm sorry. I won't say that I was just angry because of the alcohol, but it certainly didn't help my mood. Can you please forgive me?" Green felt miserable as she finished. It was hard for her to apologize here, but she felt she was firmly in the wrong. "I'm... sorry if I'm irritable too. That alcohol hasn't.... left my system yet."

Red looked taken aback, and nodded after a moment of silence. "I'm also sorry. I didn't mean that about Charizard, she's not sca-"

Now Green glared at Red, and he stopped his apology at once. "You have every RIGHT to be afraid of her. Do not give me that bullshit about how she's not scary! If I'd watched her tear that dude apart I dunno if I could have fallen asleep there in her arms. That's part of why I'm apologizing, because I didn't have to watch her killing someone. Now, granted, I did nearly die myself. Still, I only heard about Charizard afterwards. It's probably a lot different when you watch her ripping off a guy's arm at the shoulder." Green had sort of been rambling there at the end as images popped into her mind, but she stopped when she saw Red's face go a chalky white. "The point is that it's understandable. I don't blame you for being afraid. I'm sorry Red, I messed up."

Red's face softened almost at once. Before it had that wooden expression of someone who was determined to listen, but now it fell to concern again. "Ok, I'll admit I am a little afraid of Charizard. It was just… just… so terrible to watch. We all did, even Janine, Marta, and even those other Rockets. I remember we just… stopped fighting as… as…" Red was beginning to shake a bit, and stopped his sentence.

Reaching out tenderly, Green touched the side of Red's face. Green's face held no tears, but Red could see a deep sadness there. "I'm so sorry you had to see that, Red. I really am. You're a kind kid. You think the best of your pokemon and others, and you didn't need to witness such a violent act." Green pulled Red's head in towards her chest, and could hear his surprised intake of breath. Red didn't cry, but he made no effort to break the embrace as he reached around behind Green's back and pulled her closer. He was still shaking occasionally, but the embrace did seem to be calming him down.

The door opened. Marta poked her head in, smiling around before resting her eyes on the huddled pair. "Are you two getting ready? We need to start heading out soon. Green, I already packed your things and laid out your clothes."

Green pushed Red away from her and turned to beam at Marta. "Thanks, Marta. I'll be there in a sec." She was a bit annoyed to see Marta smiling in a knowing way as she closed the door gently, but shifted her gaze back to Red, who was sprawled against the pillows where Green had shoved him. Green leaned in close, and was annoyed to see Red blush a dark crimson. "Look, I was serious about what I said last night. It's hard for me to… remember things. Please promise me that you'll keep that from the other two. At least for now. I've told them about my memory problems, but... don't mention the part about me thinking I'm going crazy."

Swallowing heavily, Red nodded. "Of course, Green. I swear."

Springing onto her feet, Green smiled down at Red. "Thank you. Anyhow, I'm going to go and take a shower! Once we get to port we have to get another badge, after all." Green skipped out of the room, Red smiling after her faintly as he tried to make sense of the encounter.

Shutting the door behind her, Green let out a huge sigh of relief. That was over with, and with a lot less fuss than she would have imagined possible. She wondered vaguely if it would have been a better idea to just let him go looking back on it. After all, Red obviously had some sort of feelings for her. She may be just setting him up for a future heartbreak much worse than is she had just let him go now. Sure, he would have been angry with himself and her, but he would have gotten over it. Green walked to her room to grab her clothes, passing Marta with her mouth set in a frown.

As Green was gathering her change of clothes, the door to the bedroom opened and Janine came into the room, towel wrapped around her head as she shut the door softly behind her. Green turned back to pick up a pair of socks, but dropped them along with the rest of her clothes when Janine wrapped her arms around Green's waist. Janine rested her chin on top of Green's head and grinned down at the annoyed expression. "Good morning. Did you get enough sleep last night? I noticed you preferred the company of Charizard last night." Green snorted and tried to pull out of Janine's grip, but the larger girl tightened the hold and grinned wider. "No, I don't think I'm going to let you go right now."

Green huffed and crossed her arms as Janine chuckled. "I had a... nightmare last night. I just kinda fell asleep on the couch."

"Marta says that someone drank most of the remaining alcohol last night. It must have been one hell of a dream." Janine's voice was light and casual, but it also carried that tone of voice that invited Green to enlighten her more.

"I... had a dream about getting thrown over that railing." Green felt a bit guilty telling Janine a lie, but in the circumstance she felt that Janine would simply not understand at best, or get angry at worst. Her guilt didn't relent when Janine gasped, and pulled her in for a tighter hug.

"I'm not going to let anyone hurt you like that again" Janine said fiercely. Green looked up into Janine's fervent expression, and Janine slowly ran her fingers through Green's hair. "I promise."

"I don't NEED protecting" Green insisted as she tried to squirm out of Janine's grip, a furious glare on her face.

"Nevertheless" was all she said as she gave Green a peck on the cheek.

The two stood there for a moment, Green feeling comfortable in Janine's arms as the two enjoyed the long embrace. Janine ended it first, suddenly dropping her arms and stepping back from Green with a huge sigh. "You've gotta go and take a shower. Your hair stinks, bad dreams or not."

Green turned around to glare at Janine, but she had already picked her bag up and was heading out of the room, waving lazily over her shoulder. The door clicked shut, and Green couldn't help but smile. The two of them had decided not long after Olivine that their "arrangement" would be kept out of the group's limelight. They both didn't know how Marta would react, and Red would probably take it badly no matter what. Green had mostly kept her hands to herself for the most part, but Janine was a very touchy-feely person. When they were alone Janine seemed to enjoy holding hands, long embraces and soft kisses. Green had been hesitant whenever the two began getting a bit physical, remembering the shadow men and their accusations of rape, but it was also clear that for the time being Janine was the aggressor in this relationship. She couldn't be blamed much for that.

Turning to her bag, Green focused back on what she now considered the more pressing problem, the facts about Rudolph disappearing. The problem was that Green wasn't sure if her memory had just always been like that and it just wasn't noticed, or if the memories from her 'previous life' were now just drifting away the longer she was in this body. Frankly the second option scared her a lot more, because… Green couldn't explain it. Maybe Rudolph would be dead then, and the body would reclaim the mind his intrusion had caused. Did she have a clock ticking down the minutes of her existence?

Green frowned and dug in her bag, feeling a surge of anger. "Not gonna let that happen. Not gonna let that FUCKING happen." There had to be something to take notes on in this bag. There was a pen after all, there had to be some paper. Feeling around down in the depths of the bag she had never really explored, Green's questing fingers eventually brushed something hard wrapped in a sweatshirt. Pulling the cloth out, she unrolled it to reveal a small book, bound in soft red leather. Opening the front cover carefully, Green was unsurprised to see that it was a diary. Flipping through it, she could see that only five pages were written on, leaving the rest of the book free for notes. Good. Green picked up a change of clothes and a pen, hid them in her change of clothes and set off for the bathroom for some uninterrupted privacy.

As Green ran a hot shower, she sat down on the toilet seat and watched steam slowly fill the room. After a moment of thought, she began to write in the notebook. There she transcribed every fact about Rudolph she could remember. His name, his favorite food, his family history, whatever. Anything at all that Green could link as being a memory of Rudolph she wrote carefully down in the book, until she had a couple pages filled with scribbled facts. Feeling satisfied that she had, for the time being, written down all the important facts she went and got gingerly into the shower. The bruises across her body hadn't faded completely yet, and the black eye Harper's punch had given her was actually kind of terrible looking. Still, after a moment the warm water made the muscles slowly lose their tension, and Green got used to the mild pain as she bathed, leaving the distressing ideas of Rudolph behind for now.

Stepping out of the bathroom after the shower, Green saw her three companions sitting around the living room, Marta chatting away as Janine and Red pointedly ignored each other. Red got up first as he saw Green, and grinned shyly. "H-hey there Green. I was think maybe you wanna go to the Arena..."

"Green!" Janine called, standing up as well and silencing Red for a critical moment. "You said you'd come with me to help check out of the room. You want to go and do that now?"

"Well, I've got to..." Green began to protest, but Janine took her hand, and was dragging her out of the room before she could complain much more. Apologetically smiling at Red, Green followed along as Janine pulled her from the room. "Checking out?" she asked once they were out of earshot.

"I was hoping we could walk around the ship a bit before we had to leave. It's a nice ship." Janine didn't drop Green's hand, but instead twined her fingers into Green's grasp. "Unless you have somewhere to be?"

Green shrugged, and the two walked through the halls of the ship, making their way slowly towards the deck in comfortable silence. That was one thing Green really appreciated about Janine's presence. She was fine with just staying quiet if there was nothing to be said. When on the deck, the two found a place near the railing's edge and looked out on the slowly approaching city of Vermilion.

"Ah, ladies" toned a voice that made Green's flesh crawl a little bit. Turning, Green could see Francis strolling up to the pair of them. Marie was following behind and looking not too happy to be seeing Green. "It is indeed depressing that we must part soon. Green, I must say that the battle you gave me was a most thrilling one. Of course, I now consider you a rival of mine in the route for the pokemon league. Please believe that your win this time was merely luck. Next time I'll crush your team into the ground."

Snorting, Green turned away from Francis. "Yeah sure. I'll beat your ass next time too, you cocky bitch." Grinning up at Marie, she continued on. "I can do something to YOUR ass if you'd-"

Marie's hand was quick. She struck Green scross the face and made her stumble, eyes wide as pain re-exploded through her bruised face. Marie had slapped her bruised eye pretty much directly. "You little... pervert! I swear if I see you again I'll-" Marie began, but her voice was cut off almost at one with a little strangled noise. Looking up, Green could see that Janine had Marie by the throat. It apparently surprised Francis as much as it did Green, because he just stood there with his mouth open.

"Apologize to her right now." Janine said cooly to the woman she was gripping by the throat. Green could see Marie try to pull away, but Janine's grip tightened. "I have two fingers on each of your carotid arteries. If I squeeze harder, you're going to lose consciousness. If I squeeze longer than that you won't get up again. I said APOLOGIZE."

"Sorry!" Marie screamed, looking terrified. "Let go of me!"

Janine pushed Marie away, letting the woman take in a large and grateful breath. "Go away right now. Both of you." Francis and Marie seemed at a loss for words, and settled for walking away silently as Janine turned her attention on Green. "Did she hurt you? That bitch slapped you right in the bruise. I should've squeezed..." Janine ran a worried finger along Green's bruise that made her shiver.

Green took Janine's hand and squeezed it. "Look, I'm fine. Like I said, you don't need to protect me. I might just have deserved that slap, after all."

"What? Why? What did you do?" Janine asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Well I felt her up a little bit. Plus, I technically stole her drink too." Feeling Janine's hands tense up, Green felt as if she should elaborate. "Well, she was drunk and making fun of me. I just did it to shut her up. Plus, she's attractive but she's kind of an old whore also. Who knows what diseases she has."

Janine looked a bit off-put. "You... felt up a woman? You're eleven!"

Realizing she'd maybe been a bit too forward with her comments, Green tried to elaborate. "Look, I didn't DO anything. Plus, just because I'm eleven doesn't mean I don't know about sex. I know what feels good too. I did it purely to shut her up, I don't have any feelings for her."

"Well, maybe I wouldn't have helped just now if I'd have known you groped her." Janine said, her cheeks flushing a deep red as she tried to pull her hand away.

"Janine..." Green said soothingly, keeping a firm grip on Janine's hand and pulling it close. She drew slowly on Janine's palm with her fingertip. "Please don't be like that. I'm sorry, I was just doing it to make a point. I thought you wouldn't be bothered because you know how I felt about you."

There was a pause, and Janine's shoulders lost their tension as she took Green's hand again. "Damn. I can't stay mad at you." Janine smiled, which made Green smile in return. Janine swept in for a sudden kiss, and Green was surprised enough by the mood swing that she didn't shut her eyes right away.

What Green saw made her heart sink. Red was standing there in plain sight, a grin falling off his face even as she watched Janine's kiss. He stared for a moment, then turned around and walked briskly away. Green broke the kiss, making Janine open her eyes in surprise, but Red was already out of sight. Various emotions flicked through her brain, and for a moment Green considered chasing after Red. Try and explain all of this.

"Green? Is something the matter?" Janine looked worried as she studied Green's face, and even followed her line of sight to see what was bothering the girl.

As Green looked at Janine, all of those cares about chasing Red just didn't seem as important. He couldn't unsee what he's seen. Why try and explain what only had one explanation? Why not cultivate this chance for happiness? "Nothing's the matter" Green said simply as she reached out, wrapped her hand gently around the back of Janine's neck and pulled her in for a long and deep kiss. Janine seemed surprised at Green's aggressive move, but she also relaxed into it after a moment, and soon they were lost in each other.

It was nearly an hour later when Green and Janine began heading back to the hotel room. Janine was in high spirits, and Green suspected she was the cause. Janine hadn't said anything yet but Green could tell she had been concerned that the physical part of their relationship was one-way. Today had been the first day Green had really gotten into a kiss since that night in Cerulean before the cruise, and Janine seemed to have taken it as a sign that Green had gotten over whatever it had been.

As they got back to their room, Green hesitated before opening the door. Would Red have told Marta about their kiss? How would Marta even react? Would she find traveling with Green and Janine uncomfortable? Taking a deep breath, Green opened the door wide. Marta was sitting on the couch, reading a magazine as Bayleef lay stretched out on the couch. Red sat near the door with his bag packed, and stood up quickly as Green entered. "Green! ...Janine! Nice to see both of you... um, Marta was telling me you were gonna go east out of Vermillion City and up to Lavender Town... um... I think I'm going to go north. To fight some extra trainers, maybe run into some more pokemon."

Green shot Marta a look, but she just shrugged helplessly. Apparently Red hadn't said anything to Marta, for which Green was grateful. "Red... can I talk to you for just a minute?" Red looked as if he'd much rather not discuss anything right now, but he nodded glumly and followed Green as she walked into the room he had been using. Green sat down on one bed, while Red sat parallel on the other, and both remained silent for a minute as each sought words. "Red, if you're leaving because..."

"No..." Red quickly interjected, and the way he shook his hands and head told Green that he didn't want to talk about the kiss he'd seen just yet. Green relented, and Red took a moment to marshal his thoughts. "I was thinking about heading off soon by myself anyhow. It was good traveling with you guys, but... I'd just like some time alone for a while."

Nodding after a moment, Green stood up and smiled at Red in a vaguely apologetic way. "I'm sorry you have to go then. Look, we'd all like you to stay. If you want to come back and travel a bit, just say so. We're gonna head to Celadon City for the next badge. I imagine we're going to stay there for a day or two, so I'll see you then." Green turned and left the room. She saw that Red's expression had fallen, as if he'd been expecting her to do something before she left.

Entering the living room, Green could see a happy Marta chatting away to Janine, whose eyes were fixed on the door she had just left. Janine smiled once Green smiled at her, and looked away to respond to Marta. Green hadn't missed Janine's unmistakably jealous expression for that moment however. Red exited out of the room as well, and silently picked up his bag.

"Well, goodbye Red." Marta said as she got up to give him a hug. "You can always come back and travel with us."

Janine was there as Marta let go, and Red actually took a step away from her. She held out a casual hand, and Red hesitated for just a moment before shaking it. "See ya, Red. We never got to have that match. I'm looking forward to it." There was an awkward moment where Red met Janine's eyes, and the two shook hands forcefully as they grinned at each other. Finally, Red broke the grip and walked off towards the door leading out into the hallway. He took one last look back, waved, and was gone.

There was a long moment of silence. Green took a moment to realize that they'd always been a group of four since that night at Mt. Moon. Now there was only three of them things seemed a bit... lonely. Attempting to lighten the mood, Green smiled around at Marta and Janine. "Guess we'd better get ready to go ourselves, right?"

It took at least two hours for them to get off the ship. Every person leaving was checked by police stationed at the exit of the ship, making for an almost painfully slow exit. Green was hoping to see Red one last time, but though she scanned the crowds for him she didn't spot his hat anywhere.

Janine and Marta were chatting animatedly as they were finally allowed to disembark, allowing Green time with her thoughts. Green was grateful for the silence. While she felt bad for Red, she also felt that the whole situation was a huge pain in the ass and that it was over with for the time being. Now there was the issue of Marta discovering that the girls she was traveling with were secretly together of course, but Green could already tell that probably wasn't going to be a big deal for Marta, at least for very long. Still, this whole situation made her want to drink. Fighting the Gym Leader here would clear her head.

They found the Gym in short order, the building the same general shape and size as the previous two. It reminded Green of the Pewter City Gym, because while the town was still bustling with people, this place was placed near the edge of town, so that only people who had business here would wander by. Nobody was in sight, and the faint sounds of many people talking could still be heard on the wind. It gave the place an ominous feeling. Without checking with her companions, Green boldly walked up to the front doors and pushed them open.

The inside of the gym had a smooth metal finish, and Green could see a couple of huge poles jutting out of the floor, making the outline of a box in the center of the room. A huge man stood there, watching with arms folded as two trainers battled. Both were guys, and looked to be around sixteen, and both were using electric pokemon. The boy on the right was using an Electabuzz, while his opponent was using a Luxio. Neither battler noticed the girl's entry, but the huge man looked up and grinned wide at the three of them before turning back to watch the end of the match. It looked to be a close one, and the Electabuzz ended up barely coming out on top, panting greatly as it was returned to its pokeball.

"Another round?" Asked the kid who had lost, pulling out another pokeball. He had long blond hair, and was dressed in loose-fitting clothes that made him look like he was going to a concert.

"Guys, guys..." The huge man said, stepping into the middle of the ring and breaking both concentrations. "We have challengers. Don't be so rude." Green was unhappy to see both boys look up and ignore her completely as they focused their attention on Janine and Marta. Both boys also seemed to immediately forget their quarrel as they grinned nearly at once. "I'm Lt. Surge, the Gym Leader here. This here is Dwayne..." he motioned to the blond-haired guy, who was leering at Marta. "...and over here is Horton." The other boy, a tall lad with brown hair and a bandanna, smiled warmly at Janine. "Tell me, girl!" Surge yelled, pointing a finger at Green, "How did it feel getting all that attention on the news the other day? Betcha feel like you can take on the world right now, eh?"

Green blinked in surprise. For some reason she hadn't figured others here would know about the whole S.S. Anne debacle. She still wasn't happy about being talked to like that. "Shut up meathead. I'm here to challenge you for a badge. These two are as well. You need a moment to get ready or can we start?"

The two trainers snickered as Surge turned a bit red in the face. He scowled down at Green as he pulled a couple of pokeballs from his belt. "No, we can start right now. Step into the ring here. The matches will be three-on-three. How many badges to you have, girl?"

"Two." Green replied, and carefully selected three balls of her own as she stepped into the ring. Janine and Marta were starting to follow, but Dwayne laid a gentle hand on Marta's shoulder.

"Sorry there. Only one person in the ring at a time. It's like a test and stuff." the guy said as he tossed the hair out of his eyes with a flick of the head. "We'll keep you company while she's gone though."

"Um..." Marta looked hesitantly over at Green, who frowned back and shrugged. "I guess so."

Horton, who has wandered over to stand next to Janine, waved happily at Green. "We'll take good care of your friends! Don't you worry!" He tried to put a hand on Janine's shoulder, but she stepped away with a frown on her face.

"I'll be done in just a minute!" Green promised, and she was about to wave when suddenly there was a whirr of electricity, and the poles all sprang to life. Thick, coiling bands of electricity surged around them, making a fence that was hard to see and hear through. Turning her attention to Surge, Green went ahead and released Charizard. She took out a bottle of alcohol, and took a quick swig before she did anything else. Already she could feel the alcohol relaxing her muscles. "Let's get this over with."

Surge raised his eyebrows. "That's... a mighty impressive feat for someone your age. No mixers at all?"

Shaking her head, Green took a moment to answer. "I just want to get drunk, I don't want to be drinking."

Nodding, Surge tossed his pokeball out. Seemed he didn't care much what Green did. "Well let's get this match finished then, miss cocky. You've got two badges, which means I can go a little tougher on you. Lanturn!"

Green swore as Charizard kicked off from the ground and began to circle her opponent slowly, making sure to avoid the crackling beams of electricity arcing from rod to rod. This was a terrible matchup for Charizard. Green wondered for a moment how much energy this whole elaborate getup wasted, but quickly focused back on the task at hand. "Charizard, Slash!"

As Charizard swooped in, Green was sure this was going to be easy. The thing looked to have difficulty staying upright on the floor, and Green doubted it could fight well at all out of the water. She was surprised, therefore, when the balls atop its' head began to crackle with electricity. As Charizard swooped in for a swipe with her claws, Lanturn dove forward and touched Charizard's chest with a sparking antenna. Charizard got the slash off, cutting a deep would in the thing's side, but Green could tell by Charizard's roar of pain that it had taken more damage by far.

"Return!" Green yelled, returning Charizard as it stumbled away from Lanturn. There wasn't a moment's hesitation as Green threw the next ball. "Breloom!"

Even as Breloom came out of the ball, Lanturn was already striking. It released a burst of electricity, a thin yellow wave, that collided with Breloom and made the mushroom pokemon squeal in pain. Breloom glared back, and a green stream began moving from Lanturn to Breloom, making Breloom's wounds fade even as Lanturn slumped to the ground. Surge didn't look all that concerned as he returned the pokemon and fished out a new ball. "Good job! I thought you were gonna give me an easy KO with your lizard there. Electrode! Spark!"

As Electrode came out of the pokeball and began rolling towards Breloom, sparks began kick up all around its body. Breloom stood her ground however, and narrowed her eyes at the ball. She hardly needed Green telling her to use counter as she grabbed Electrode, winced in pain as it shocked her, and brought it around for a sharp "crack" against the ground. The momentum of Electrode's roll had worked against it, and now it looked nearly out of the game. "Alright!" Green cheered. "Finish it off with Mach punch!"

Breloom just stood there. It took Green a second to realize it had been still right after attacking Electrode. It was paralyzed. Green could only cry out as Surge commanded, "Selfdestruct!" Electrode glowed white for a moment, and then exploded, knocking Breloom off her feet and sending her sprawling in a heap. Both trainers returned their pokemon, and Lt. Surge was laughing. "Things aren't looking so good for you, eh girl?"

"I'm ahead by two pokemon, you bastard!" Green yelled back, and wordlessly sent out Charizard. The pokemon jumped off the ground and hovered there, slowly beating her wings to stay afloat as she roared a challenge to Surge.

"Don't count on it. Always save the best for last, kid! Go, Raichu!" Surge yelled loudly, sending out his last pokemon.

Both trainers commanded their pokemon nearly at the same time. "Flamethrower!" Green shouted, as Surge yelled "Lightningbolt!" While Charizard had to take a long breath in to ready her breath however, Raichu simply let off a bolt of lightning bolt with a flick of the tail, striking Charizard and making her jerk in midair. The line of flame she let out missed Raichu by inches, and Green had to return the falling dragon as she dropped from the sky.

As Surge laughed and his Raichu danced a little victory jig, Green slowly took out her third pokeball. This was the hardest Gym battle yet, Surge didn't screw around. She had to win though. There couldn't be any other way. "Snorlax!" she cried, and released the huge pokemon out to battle. It appeared, and soundlessly caught the bottle Green tossed to it. "Kick that rat's ass."

Snorlax took a long pull from the bottle as it turned an eye on Raichu. The two pokemon just glared at each other for a moment, then as Snorlax finished the bottle it tossed the thing aside. Surge, who was just grinning and watching, acted as soon as she tossed the bottle aside. "Thunderbolt!"

Raichu's lightning arc made Snorlax roar is pain, and take a step back. She glared when Raichu took a breath, and as Green commanded "Body Slam," rushed the smaller pokemon and caught it with a mighty shoulder slam that sent Raichu flying. The rat landed gracefully enough however, and Green swore to herself.

"Agility!" Raichu fell down to all fours and began running around Snorlax, slow,at first but picking up speed until Snorlax was having a difficult time keeping track of where the mouse was going. "Quick attack!" Raichu suddenly sprang at Snorlax, hitting her with a swift blow to the back that made her stumble. When Snorlax looked back Raichu was already off again, zooming around and readying for another strike.

As Snorlax began to look confused, trying to follow Raichu desperately, Green had an idea. "Yawn!" Snorlax immediately complied, letting loose a huge yawn and forming a light blue bubble out of her mouth. The bubble eventually dislodged, and floated gently away as Raichu continued his assault. It looked for a moment like the attack had done noting as Snorlax covered her head with her hands and just waited out Raichu's quick strikes, but the lazily floating bubble eventually drifted down and with a soft "paff" popped against Raichu as it sped past. Raichu slowed down to a brisk walk, then a trot, finally collapsing in a snoring heap. Snorlax wasted no time and simply sat on the unmoving rat.

Snorlax looked very pleased with herself as she got up off the unconscious Raichu, and Surge snorted in annoyance as he returned his last pokemon. "Fine kid, you've earned these." The man dug in his pocket and flicked a small star-shaped badge at Green, who plucked it deftly out of the air. Surge walked over to the grid for the electric fence and shut it down, letting Green see the relieved faces of her friends, who could see Snorlax still upright. He dug in another pocket and produced a yellowish disc, which he also tossed to Green. "Thunder Badge. I have to admit I'm surprised kid. You've got some tough pokemon. That TM's for the move Shock Wave by the way."

Grinning, Green returned Snorlax and bowed a bit. "Thanks. You're not so bad at battling yourself." As she skipped out of the ring, Surge scowled after her but said nothing,

Marta was first to speak. Dwayne was leering at her in a way that was obviously making her uncomfortable, and she gratefully hurried up to Green. "Congratulations! I guess it's my turn then right?"

Dwayne looked disappointed, and tried to act nonchalant. "Well. Um, good luck and stuff. Hey, I was going to ask you..." he began, and Green could already see Marta's face falling.

Green smiled at the boy and grabbed a free arm. He stopped suddenly, and turned wild eyes on Green, who was already waving Marta away. "Don't worry Marta! I'll keep your friend here busy." She grinned up at Dwayne, showing him all of her teeth. The boy looked severely off-put, and could only look hopelessly back at Marta as she turned and walked towards the match.

"Yeah.... great." Dwayne muttered, not bothering to shake Green off. As he watched dejectedly Marta disappeared behind the crackling bands of electricity.

Looking to Janine, Green could see she looked just as annoyed with her host. Horton was juggling two balls with one hand, evidently to show off a bit to Janine, and asking her questions about her pokemon. "So, which pokemon are you going to drop Raticate for? I'll bet you're going to get a Croagunk. You know, we might be able to go and look for one if you're staying in town long. I hear there also could be Grimer around..." the guy faltered as Janine gave him a long, silent stare without changing her facial expression.

"Green, congratulations on your match." Janine said happily once Horton had quieted down, her face going from neutral to beaming.

Releasing Dwayne's arm, Green smiled back. "Thanks. Good luck on yours too. I hope Marta is doing alright."

"Oh she'll be fine. Marta's a good battler, she just doesn't trust herself very often. Can I HELP you?" Janine asked, obviously annoyed as Horton tapped her on the shoulder.

Horton backed up a step and waved his hands at Janine. "Sorry, sorry! I'll just... stand over here." He backed away from Janine and went to go stand by Dwayne, where the two began a whispered conversation. Every now and then one would look over at the two girls, then lean back in for another exchange of words.

Green sidled up to Janine, who smiled briefly down at her before turning to watch the electric fence. Green reached out and took Janine's hand, and the two silently watched the crackling fence as the two boys behind them began whispering more urgently. Both girls pretended not to notice.

Finally, after another five minutes, there was a sound of slowing turbines and the crackling bands began to slowly fade. Green dropped their grip as Marta came into view, smiling widely and waving a badge over her head. She ran up to Green, and presented it like a child showing her mother a good grade as her Heracross ran along behind. "I did it! I really did it! Look, Green!" Marta giggled and hugged Green tightly to her chest, lifting Green's feet off the ground and spinning her around. Green could only hang there helplessly as Marta laughed.

Smiling, Green freed an arm and patted Marta on the shoulder. "I never had a moment's doubt. I'll bet you were amazing. We should still celebrate though! Congratulations!" Marta blushed at the compliment and mumbled a few words of thanks as Green looked over to Janine, smiling widely to invite her to praise Marta as well. Green's grin died as she caught Janine's expression. Janine had her mouth drawn tight and was glaring daggers at Marta, and it took Green a moment to register that Janine was jealous. Almost as soon as Green saw the expression however, it was gone. Janine flashed her teeth in a brittle smile before hurrying forward to participate in her own match. Green watched her go off with a frown. That just made things a lot more awkward.

"Is something the matter?" Marta asked uneasily as she watched Green's expression. Marta loosened her grip a bit, letting Green's feet touch the floor again.

"Nothing. Just... gas." Green finished lamely. As Marta let her go and Green let her mind wander again, she found her mind drifting back to odd places. Images of her time underwater floated to the top of Green's mind as she closed her eyes. She found herself suddenly longing for those calm, silent waters. At least down there this complicated drama wouldn't exist. There was just darkness, and the silvery shimmer of the surface. There wasn't this constant urge to check the notebook either, to see if her mind had degraded further, maybe lost Rudolph's date of birth or favorite food.

Marta considered shaking Green after a few moments. It seemed like she had zoned out. After a minute however, Marta shrugged off the idea. Whatever Green was imagining, it had to be something pleasant. Best to not disturb her at a time like this.


	6. Chapter 15

Chapter 15-

As she slowly opened her eyes and sat up, Green blinked around at the quiet, dim interior of the pokecenter. It was still dark out in Lavender town, and Green could clearly see the thick fog in the streets, highlighted by the pale glow of the moon. There was some pressure on Green's palm that made her turn, but it was only Janine's hand, which had reached out in her direction and brushed Green's as the older girl continued to doze on the huge circular red couch they had claimed the previous night. On the other side of the couch Marta continued to breathe steadily, one hand over her face and her mouth wide open. Green frowned for a moment before getting up and extracting the journal, a pen and her pokeballs out of her bag. She was out of the Pokemon Center with hardly a noise.

Outside in the crisp air, Green took a deep and grateful breath before finding a handy bench to sit on. There, she opened the journal up and began to slowly write out her thoughts. The moment she'd woken up, the urge to write down all those little facts she'd remembered about Rudolph overnight had crept into her head, and now here she was, furiously jotting down notes along the lines of "didn't like tomatoes, but liked ketchup" "was into Led Zeppelin" and "shaved only once a week." It bothered Green that she could no longer think of Rudolph as who she was anymore. That was who she used to be, and now this body was... who she was. Nevertheless, Green recorded with a meticulous hand every scrap of information about Rudolph that she could remember, down to how often he trimmed his toenails. These written facts were, to Green, more precious than gold. They confirmed that Rudolph had in fact existed, and Green took great comfort in that. With these little details written down, Green finally figured that she could move on a bit, leave behind the girl that had broken down in front of Red in the past.

It was only when Green was near the end of her thoughts, lazily writing out the lyrics to a Beatles song, that she let her mind wander back to the problem of Janine. Things had become pretty awkward even since the match against Surge. The entire time that the three of them were walking towards Lavender there had been a pointed silence that had been impossible to ignore. Even Marta was uncharacteristically silent after a few attempts to spark conversation, perhaps sensing that something had happened. Janine had spoken the least, usually walking with a far off look in her eyes that told Green she was thinking about something. Janine didn't respond to Marta hardly at all, and generally only answered Green with quick, two-word responses. Green had just walked in the middle and tried to serve as the middleman, being as quiet as possible while still answering Marta as to not be rude. She'd considered just confronting Janine about this, but had eventually decided to leave things as was. She'd wait until Janine was in more of a talkative mood before trying that.

As Green finished writing the last of the lyrics, she moved to close the book when something made her hesitate. The entries at the beginning of the journal flashed past her vision, and Green realized that she'd never actually read the entries left by the body's previous owner. Tentatively, Green opened to the first entry, dated three months ago. She felt like she was reading something secret and taboo, but on the other hand these were also written by HER. It couldn't be wrong. The first article, like the four after it, were written in a purple pen that made Green frown. All the lowercase i's were dotted with dots half the time and tiny hearts the other half. It was certainly the journal of an 11-year-old girl.

-Dear Diary. Well mother gave me this book today for keeping my thoughts in during my pokemon journey, so I guess I'd better use it. I can't believe I'm going to be leaving in only a few months! I tried to convince May to come along with me a couple of times already, but of course I knew she'd say no. She's much too busy studying nowadays, and doesn't really like battling at all. I'm kind of scared about going out into the world by myself. I saw on TV last night where some kid got beaten up and his pokemon stolen. He's not sure if it was Team Rocket, but I think so. I'm still having trouble deciding which pokemon to use. Squirtle seems the one I'm leaning towards the most right now. -Green

Feeling a pang of guilt, Green remembered her decision on the first day here to not go speak with any parents. Well, of course it would turn out to be that Green and her mother were close then. While wondering how to correct the situation, Green opened the next journal entry and read.

-Dear Diary. Well, I had a great day! We had to take tests for our pokemon licenses today. Of course I never had a doubt I'd pass, but I was done even before Blue! Speaking of Blue, I think he might have smiled at me today during the test. Hehe, I stayed around an extra 10 minutes just because I thought he might do it again! 3. Of course, RED also came up and tried to talk to me on the way home. Ugh, I wish he'd take a hint. I mean, he's nice, but sometimes he follows me around so much I have to do something to make him go away. Anyhow, I went to May's house for a while too. We mostly just played with her Clefairy and talked about what we want to be when we grow up. I don't see what the big deal with being the Pokemon Champion is personally. I mean it's all just sitting around and being bored all the time. I want to be the greatest pokemon collector ever. My secret dream is to one day find a brand new species of pokemon all by myself. May wants to be a pokemon researcher. But she's really nervous about going out by herself, even though she's older than me! Well, Professor Oak has a lot of pokemon on his property, so I guess she does have a lot right here in town to study. Still, I can't imagine staying here forever. The last time I went anywhere was three years ago when we went to Cinnabar Island! I feel cooped up! Still, I've got to remember to call May and mom a few times during my journey. They're both so excited for me already, it makes me smile.-Green

Shutting the book, Green stared ahead into the fog. The heart drawn on the paper had made her a little bit ill inside. She could see how girls might look at him and see a dark and brooding kid, but Green saw an annoying little jerkoff. She'd have to remember to ignore him more next time or something. The same pang of guilt about her new mother also hit Green when she read about May as well. Obviously the two of them had been good friends, and now she'd kind of been forgotten. That was kind of depressing. While the urge to read some more of the diary was strong, Green just wanted a moment to collect her thoughts.

A whistling tune caught Green's attention and snapped her head up suddenly. Here in the fog, where it was hard to make out the next building, noises were much more sinister. Even the pretty cheerful tune heading her sounded horribly wrong, because occasionally it would just stop for a few seconds at a time before picking up right where it left off. Finally a figure emerged from the rolling cloud, whistling a tune that was punctuated by silences where he puffed on a cigarette in his hand. Green breathed a sigh of relief. She had gotten a mental image of an axe murderer whistling that tune, stopping only to bury his axe in a skull. She must have been staring at him for a bit, because as he walked by he stopped his song and his walk and stared back. "Uh, can I help you kid?" the guy asked, raising his eyebrows. He left the cigarette in his mouth as he spoke, so it wobbled up and down like the needle on a lie detector. The man was rough-looking, and while his wrinkled brown skin spoke of a man who worked outdoors all day, his eyes were a sparkling green that reminded Green of the ocean and youth. A full black beard and head of hair obscured most of the face, and with the fog and haze from the cigarette it was hard to make out exact features anyhow.

For a moment Green considered telling the guy to shove off or something, but watching the cigarette lazily trailing smoke made her think different. "Yeah, can I bum a smoke?"

The guy stared back, as if gauging her face for a moment. Slowly the guy reached down, plucked a cigarette from the box, and passed it over. Green popped it in between her lips and looked back up to the guy with a questioning expression. The man, not missing a beat, pulled his lighter out and made a flame for Green. The man sat down as Green slowly smoked her first cigarette. Though the urge was great Green didn't cough on the first drag, on the second drag Green started to cough however and the man smirked. "I can tell this is your first time, girl. Why do you even want to get into this nasty habit?"

"Hey I've been going through a lot in the last couple of days. Give me a break, dude." Green responded casually, taking another puff at her cigarette. Already Green could feel her body relaxing, the tension being driven from her muscles as she breathed out another cloud of smoke. Wow, that felt better.

The man just nodded and continued smoking his cigarette in silence. There was a peaceful minute as the man finished his first cigarette, dropped it and lit another even as he ground the first under his heel. He pulled the second cigarette out of his mouth after a moment, breathed a cloud of smoke and spoke. "So what happened kid? Did you lose one of your pokemon or somethin'?"

"Wha?" Green didn't follow what the man said for a moment until she followed his gaze to the corner of town. Green couldn't see the Pokemon Tower clearly in this light, but she could make out the towering black outline in the fog. "Oh, sorry. No, I didn't lose a pokemon."

"Family?" the man asked simply, not taking his eyes off Green. He looked sad all of a sudden. "You really do look like the world's on your shoulders."

Silently, Green contemplated the question before saying, "Yes. A brother."

"Sucks." The man said, nodding slowly as he gazed off into the fog. "World's unfair." The man hesitated a minute, and pulled the pack of cigarettes and his lighter out. He handed both objects to a surprised Green. "I don't approve, but if it helps you cope a bit, here ya go. I gotta quit soon anyhow." Green tried to raise her hands in a politely declining position, but the man persistently thrust the bundle in his hands forward. Finally, Green hesitantly reached out and took the items. The man pulled his hand back at once, and smiled down at her. "Cheer up, little one. The sun always has to rise." With those words, the man rose and wandered off. Green would never see him again.

Green, who was about halfway through her cigarette, pocketed the pack and lighter. She watched the man go in silence as she considered what he had said closely. She breathed out a smoke ring, and smiled. "Sun always rises? So damn cliche... nice guy though."

A half hour and another cigarette later, Green felt like someone had drained the excess tense feelings out of her, leaving her feeling a bit better than before. There were hints of light at the corners of the sky, and so Green got up slowly, stretching as she wandered back to the pokemon center.

Walking into the building and gratefully shutting the door behind her, Green was about to go and sit down when a voice made her jump. "Green? Are you ok?"

Trying to keep her suddenly thundering heart under control, Green whirled around to see Janine. The older girl had a smile on her face, but Green could tell even from here that it was a bit forced. Green stared back for a minute, looking for what to say. With a mental shrug, she decided that she would just speak about what was on her mind right now. "I'm okay Janine. Are we going to talk yet, or are you going to pointedly avoid Marta again today? How long were you watching me anyhow?"

Green's expression didn't change as she spoke, but Janine's expression fell completely. She looked a bit angry, a bit nervous, and a bit frustrated all at once. "I've been watching you since a little before that man showed up. Also, what's there to talk about anyhow?" she asked, looking defensive as she crossed her arms across her chest. She seemed to want to say more, probably about Marta, but maintained her silence.

"If you're going to be like that then there's no reason to talk at all anymore, is there?" Green responded coolly, and began to walk past Janine without making eye contact. She was only stopped when Janine grabbed her arm and gently turned her around.

"Please don't, Green. I'm sorry. I've... been really stressed out for the last day or so. Can we still talk?" Janine asked, smiling a goofy lopsided grin at Green in an attempt to lighten the situation.

Green considered just brushing past anyhow and going back to sleep, but there was a pleading in Janine's voice that melted her heart. Green glanced over at the round couch all three girls had been using as a bed, and spotted Marta dozing lazily with one arm over her face. "Fine. Let's go and talk then. Do you want to take a walk?"

There was no objection from Janine, and so the two silently left and began walking through the gloomy streets. Green kept wondering if she'd have to start the conversation, but Janine spoke up first after about five minutes. "I need to know something. Do you like Marta? You know what I mean, please don't play dumb."

The question was exactly what Green had expected. "No I don't like Marta like that and I'm pretty sure she doesn't like me like that either. Honestly Marta just lacks some self confidence." Janine opened her mouth to speak, a scowl on her face, but Green cut her off. "And to answer your next question of course I still find her pretty, she's a pretty girl."

There was a long silence as the two came up on Pokemon Tower. As they stood staring at it, not meeting each others eyes, Janine finally spoke again. "That was my next question. How did you know that?"

"Look I'll just be blunt. It's probably best in these circumstances. Marta's a great girl and a great friend, but to be frank she's not always the brightest bulb and sometimes she gets a bit mothering and clingy. Sure she's also good looking, but she's seven years older than me. I'm sure she'd be a bit creeped out if I wasn't. Besides looks she doesn't have a whole lot that I'd go for." Green reached out and took Janine's hand gently. She resisted for a moment, but Green squeezed and spoke. "I like my girls with a little more personality and spunk."

Janine stopped trying to pull her hand away, but did not squeeze back as she stared fiercely ahead, not meeting Green's eyes. "So I'm not pretty then? Is that it?"

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Green considered that this is what girls were always like. Even when they were angry they were really fishing for compliments. Deciding to humor the girl, Green turned Janine's palm upright and drew lazily on the surface with a finger, which made Janine break out into goosebumps. "I don't know why you have to be like that. Didn't I tell you just the other day I liked you? I obviously find you attractive otherwise I wouldn't have ever responded to your advancements."

Taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Janine shifted so that she was facing Green. "I'm sorry. It's just that you're right, Marta is pretty. Maybe I shouldn't get so upset when she talks with you and all, but... you've known her longer, and the way she treats you..."

"I've known her two days longer than you. That's hardly a long time. Honestly I think you're overreacting about this whole thing a little bit Janine. She treats me like a little sister, not like a girlfriend." Green stated bluntly, not breaking eye contact with Janine. Her voice was gentle but unwavering, and Janine could only look down at the ground, an angry blush rising to her cheeks. Once again Green was moved by Janine's expression. She seemed angry with the world, and herself in general. Deciding to throw the girl a bone, Green leaned in and kissed Janine softly on the lips, biting gently on the taller girl's lower lip before pulling away. Janine flushed completely red, and Green whispered "I think it's sweet that you get so jealous about me. But give me a little bit of trust, alright? I don't have any reason to give you up." Laying her head against Janine's chest, Green smirked when she heard Janine's thundering heart.

"I... oh... of course Green." Janine said weakly, wrapping her arms around Green. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to think I don't trust you. I just get so nervous sometimes. You're special to me. I'm sorry."

Smiling faintly, Green reached around to rub Janine consolingly on the back as the two stood there in the fading fog. Green suspected that Janine was crying a little bit from the way her body shook, but she made no noise and so Green just waited until she finished. Finally, Janine pulled away from Green and wiped a hand across her eyes. "Feeling better?" Green asked consolingly.

"Yeah I guess so." Janine said in a pouty little voice. She gave Green a look that practically screamed 'and don't ever talk about my little moment back there' before saying, "Well, I suppose we'd better get back right? Can't leave the prettiest girl in our group waiting."

"I'm not waiting for anyone." Green replied airily as she turned to walk back. Suddenly, Janine went running past, laughing as she held something over her head. It took Green a second to feel the draft. "You bitch, give me back my hat!" she roared as she tore down the street after Janine.

As Green neared the Pokemon Center at a much slower pace than she'd started, she had a moment to marvel at Janine, who was proudly wearing her hat at a roguish angle and looking smug. She seemed hardly winded, while Green was taking deep breaths and resisting the urge to massage a stitch in her side. Janine must have been in great shape. Green hadn't realized how far they'd walked until suddenly they were running back.

As Green opened her mouth to demand her hat back, Janine suddenly snatched it off her head and threw it casually. It fell neatly onto Green's head, at such an angle that it obscured her vision for a moment. As Green pushed it back on her head she glared daggers at Janine, who was shaking with laughter. "Your face is so red!" Janine exclaimed gleefully.

Taking a deep breath, Green regained her composure. "I guess you win. This time."

Still giggling, Janine sprang forward, closing the distance between the two with a couple swift steps. "So, if I've won then are you my prize?" she asked casually. Before Green could respond, Janine was kissing her gently on the lips and wrapping her arms around Green's midsection.

Man, this girl is horny all the time, thought Green as she kissed back. There was a quiet moment where the two just enjoyed the feel of each others bodies in the cool morning air, oblivious to the world around them.

"Green? Janine?" Came a voice, sounding confused and shocked. Both girls broke the embrace at nearly the same time, and they whirled to see Marta, who was staring back and forth at the both of them. "Are... were you two kissing?!"

Green shuffled her feet uncomfortably, and she could even see Janine averting her eyes from Marta as they tried to think of something. "No, no Marta! We were... um..." Janine started, looking red in the face.

A couple passable lies passed through Green's head. some might even be believed. On the other hand, being blunt had worked out so far today. If Marta had a problem with it, might be better to just deal with it now. Green reached out and took Janine's hand. "We were making out. Janine and I are a couple, Marta. Sorry we didn't tell you earlier."

There was a minute where Green and Janine were sure Marta was going to get angry or sad or something, but both were surprised when she suddenly burst into excited giggles, which she quickly stifled behind a hand. "Oh my gosh, that's wonderful! I'm so happy for the both of you!" She walked over and compared the two side by side, as if surveying up a new car. She threw out her arms and pulled both girls into a hug. "This is wonderful news! Let's go and have some breakfast, my treat!"

"Wait wait wait, you're okay with this? Really? I thought you kept trying to get me hooked up with Red!" Green exclaimed, who was frankly floored by this reaction. 'Did she know about this already?' Green thought, thought she almost immediately pushed the idea away.

"Oh Green, I thought the two of you also made a cute couple, that's all. He likes you as well, of course. But Green, I want you to be happy." Marta smiled at Janine with her warmest expression. "If Janine makes you happy then why would I ever have a problem with that?"

Green suddenly and unexpectedly felt a surge of emotions. There was gratitude first and foremost, but there was also this surge of incredible relief. Though Green often thought Marta was a bit of an airhead, she was also one of the few people in this world who knew and liked her. She might not have cherished Marta's friendship quite as openly as Marta cherished hers, but the older girl was still important to Green. "Thank you, Marta" Green said as she gave Marta a hug, which was returned with a smile.

"Yeah, thanks Marta." Janine said awkwardly as she watched the two embracing.

Marta gently detached Green, walked straight up to Janine and swept her up in a hug as well. "Oh Janine, I'm happy for you too! I'm so glad the two of you found each other. You make an adorable couple." Janine, who looked a bit red in the face, could only mumble a word of thanks as she hugged back. Green had to stop a snicker at Janine's confused expression.

The rest of the morning went incredibly well, to Green's relief. Marta and Janine talked a lot during breakfast, and Green suspected that Janine was trying to be nice to make up for the previous day's silence. The cafe they were eating at had a wide view of the town's main road, and Green kept glancing up in case she happened to see Red. There was no such luck however, and once the meal was finished the only people Green had seen were people coming into the cafe and people walking towards Pokemon Tower to pay their respects. She considered asking the others if they wouldn't mind waiting for Red, then decided against it. Besides the fact that it would just make Janine upset, Green was sure she'd run into Red again, and running into him too early could be worse than not running into him at all. The guy had a lot dropped on his shoulders.

So Green's small party left Lavender Town in much higher spirits than they'd entered as they started down Route 8. The fog cleared away completely as the morning got brighter and warmer, and soon they could see the sky again. Green intentionally hung back a bit, letting Janine and Marta talk for a while as she lost herself in her thoughts.

Nobody was much on the lookout for new pokemon; nevertheless, Marta captured a Snubbull that wandered into their path and Green almost managed to capture an Abra before it teleported away. They even ran into a trainer, a foppish young lad with a dapper orange coat, but Janine dealt with him heartily.

It was later in the afternoon, when the three of them were beginning to near Saffron City, that Janine began acting a bit strange. She became much quieter, and for a while Green was afraid she was reverting back to the sulky jealous girl she'd been before. It didn't seem like that was the case however; she responded kindly and enthusiastically to questions, but offered no topics of conversation of her own. Finally, when Green could take it no longer, she finally inquired. "Janine, what's wrong? You've hardly even spoken for like an hour."

"I've seen the same Murkrow at least three times already." Janine responded cooly. "Every time it sees us it flies back the way it came. I thought it was just a coincidence the first time."

Green slowed her pace noticeably. "Wha? Janine, are you shittin'..."

Janine reached out and grabbed Green's arm, pulling her along until she kept pace again. "Don't stop walking at a normal pace. I'm pretty sure it's coming back in a minute. If it sees us running they'll know."

Bewildered, Green looked to Marta, who shrugged helplessly back. "Who'll know, Janine?"

"Well, I thought it was obvious." Janine said with a calm air. "The only people who want you dead are Team Rocket, right?"

They all walked in silence for another minute as they all sought for words. "Well... what do you think we should do then, Janine?" Marta asked nervously.

"When we hit the treeline, I'm going to break off from the group. Don't worry, I'll still be nearby. The bird will stop following us then, I'm sure of it. I can only imagine Team Rocket's got some trap out there for us. If you come across it, just remember to not panic. I'm pretty sure their boss wants you alive. Just, walk along and keep calm."

Scowling in annoyance, Green crossed her arms across her chest and glared at Janine. "Thank you so much for that." A black movement in the sky caught Green's eye. Sure enough, there was a small black dot, that turned around and headed back the way it had come from. Green probably wouldn't have given it a second glance.

Janine smiled as the path brought them near to a grove of trees on the road. "Don't worry. I promise I won't let anyone hurt you." As they crossed the threshold, Janine leaned down, gave Green a quick peck on the cheek and was gone in another moment. Without another word, Marta and Green set off down the path, and began a falsely jovial talk. Both were smiling happily, but each had a worried look in their eyes that betrayed the facade of pure calm. Both girls ended up summoning a pokemon, Green releasing Charizard and Marta releasing Bayleef, to take the edge off the waiting.

It quickly became apparent what the deal was. There was a sudden, high-pitched shriek, that was suddenly cut off as if someone had clamped their hand over a mouth. The two girls shared a quick glance before racing down the path.

There was a moment where the two ran through the woods where Green began to panic. There was no telling who had screamed, and the two hadn't seen Janine since she disappeared. Green began cursing quietly to herself, angry for letting Janine go without a fuss, and was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Marta had stopped until she was pulled back by her collar. Green glared at Marta, but the older girl pressed a finger to her lips and pointed. Following the finger, Green could see five figures. The three standing figures were easy enough to identify; they turned out to be Gutman, Cairo and Cook, all crowded around a bag as Gutman dug around inside. The two figures sitting down were girls, and were bound and gagged against a tree. One of the bound girls looked as if she was crying, her body convulsing with the sobs, while the other girl calmly watched Team Rocket dig through the bag with an air of annoyance.

"Yeah, we're good. Buncha leaf stones in here. They ain't fake either." Gutman said with a smirk on his face. He drew the pullstring tight on the bag and threw it over his shoulder. "The boss is gonna be pleased. You guys take their pokemon?"

Cairo grinned as she held up four pokeballs. "Right here, Gutman!"

"Right. Now can we PLEASE get out of here? I want to sleep in a real bed tonight." Cook said in an annoyed tone of voice. "Plus, Murkrow seemed to think there were other people on the road."

"Fuck the other people on the road. But whatever, let's go if you're gonna be like that." Gutman said with a grunt as he stood up.

Green realized that this was going to be the only time to do something about these guys. She couldn't just let them get away with this. Turning to Marta, Green whispered "only come out if it looks like I'm in a lot of trouble. I'm gonna try and take care of this. See if you can't free those girls." Marta tried to say something, but Green simply ignored Marta as she stood up and walked boldly into the clearing, followed closely by Charizard to her right, whose eyes were darting around to the Rockets in an attempt to keep them all in her sight. "Hey jerkoffs, drop the bag and the pokeballs or I'll be forced to waste you all!" Green shouted, pulling out a pokeball and summoning Regirock to cover her left flank.

All three Rockets jumped. Gutman, who was the first to shake the surprise off his face, was already pulling out two pokeballs. "Hey, it's that stupid little bitch again! Where's your crew, you little cunt?" He snarled, looking more and more furious as he spoke. "You're the damn reason we got demoted, you little shit. I'm gonna rearrange your face!" He threw out both the pokeballs in hand, revealing his Arbok and Hariyama. "We've gotten better since last time, kid! And we've got more pokemon! I'm gonna curbstomp that damn little face of yours!"

"Easy Gutman..." Cook said soothingly, releasing his Mightyena and a Hypno. "You get too worked up. My friend does have a point though, girl. Where ARE your friends?"

"I'm by myself now." Green responded, releasing Snorlax, Breloom and Kirlia to compensate for the new opponents. With a twinge of annoyance, Green realized she only had five pokeballs. She'd put Beedrill away to take out Lugia, and she hadn't bothered to replace it. Damn. "I'm good enough to wipe the floor with you three myself though." Green noticed Marta, who cautiously poked her head out, and began slowly moving towards the tied-up girls. The quiet girl seemed to notice, but didn't make any real indications one way or the other about it. The crying girl was much too wraped up in struggling and sobbing to notice.

"I doubt that very much." Cairo said with a smirk, releasing her Sneasel and Seviper. "We've also gotten stronger. Plus you're just plain outnumbered. Now, just give us your pokemon. We promise we won't hurt you much."

"Arbok, Poison Fang! Hariyama, Force Palm!" Gutman commanded suddenly. He seemed to be done with waiting. The snake lunged at Breloom, jaws open wide, while the fighting pokemon rushed at Regirock.

"Kirlia, Confusion!" Green snapped, and Arbok was stopped suddenly in midair by a pulsing blue glow. The snake was flung back and skid along the ground a couple of times before getting up again, hissing wildly. "Charizard, Air Slash!" Charizard took to the air at once, and brought both wings together with an audible clap. A blue wave of energy flew from the tips of Charizard's wings and hit Hariyama, blowing the rushing pokemon off its feet and onto its back. It groaned as it started to get back up. "Dumb move, meathead! Why don't you guys stop being fucking stupid and just attack me all at once?"

Growling, Gutman glared at his two companions. "WELL?! Are you bastards gonna help me or just stare and smile like a couple of damn idiots?!"

Cairo and Cook, who had indeed been watching and smiling at Gutman's misfortune, sobered up almost at once. "Oh, right. Sorry about that. We just thought you had it under control, Gutman." Cook said with a lazy grin. "Mightyena, Hypno! Attack!"

"Sneasel, Seviper, get that Regirock!" Cairo called with mad glee. Both Cook and Cairo's pokemon rushed forward, joined by Gutman's pokemon after a moment. The battle was met, and soon it grew fierce enough that it became pointless to even try and give orders.

Glancing back at Marta, Green was relived to see that both Marta and the silent girl were working on the crying girl's bindings. She looked like she was nearly going to hyperventilate, and even now she struggled frantically against her bonds, making it difficult for the other two girls to help.

Before Green could think of what to do next, there was something that gently began shaking in her bag. Curiously, she opened it and looked inside. The egg she had gotten from Claire was beginning to shake, and there were definite cracks appearing all over the shell.

"Green! Duck!" Marta's voice suddenly screamed. Bayleef, who had been walking near her master, took up a defensive position in front of Marta as Cairo and Cook swung around to see the cause of the noise.

Ducking quickly, Green felt the rushing wind over her head. Gutman had taken advantage of Green's lapse of concentration by closing the distance, and had tried to punch her straight in the face. Gutman was a large guy, and Green counted herself lucky that he hadn't got a blow in. It probably would have taken her out in one go. Green scurried backwards, moving barely out of the way of Gutman's next blow. "Run away all you want, when I catch you I'm gonna twist your damn arm off you little cunt!"

"Gutman!" Cook's voice called. He sounded a little desperate now. "The girl's not alone!"

"Then take CARE of it!" the huge blond man yelled back, aiming a kick at Green who barely dodged in time. "Dammit do I have to do everything?!"

Green was feeling desperate herself as she fled further away from the battle, trying to escape from Gutman. He didn't let up for a moment however, and it was all Green could do to not get pulverized. She had considered calling over Charizard, but the last she'd seen the pokemon had been battling against Arbok, and taking her out of the fight might have meant a loss for Green's whole team. Of course, now she had a huge man pressing down on her, threatening to smash her brains in with his fist. Somehow that should have registered as more important at the time. It was right when Green realized she was out of sight of the main battle that she got sloppy for just a moment. She stopped as the shaking in the egg got intense, and a small noise made her glance down to see what had hatched. Gutman took full advantage. With a quick kick, he nailed Green right in the stomach, knocking her on her back and blowing the air from her lungs. She tried to struggle upright, but the pain from the kick was excrutiating. It made Green groan even trying to move her midsection. Before she could consider a new way to get out of this mess, a hand roughly grabbed the front of her shirt and hauled her off the ground. Green was reminded horribly of Harper as Gutman grinned wickedly at her.

"Well now. Maybe you didn't think that plan through well enough, huh? Who's gonna save you this time?" Gutman said, reaching up with his free hand to Green's face. She shuddered, not knowing in the slightest what he planned to do.

There was a flash of orange from her bag, and Green felt herself being dropped as Gutman began to scream. Looking up, Green could see a huge orange head on a relatively small body, clamping down on Gutman's wrist with a deathgrip. It took a moment to even register the pokemon as a Trapinch, but Green decided to not waste this opportunity any longer. She scooted frantically away from the large man as he growled and reared back, obviously meaning to smash Trapinch against a tree. Green fished an extra pokeball out of her bag and quickly returned her new pokemon, making Gutman whiff and stumble.

"Ohh, when I get my hands on you again..." Gutman began, rubbing his bleeding wrist and flexing his fingers as he walked towards Green.

There was a sudden flash of movement followed by a choking noise, and Green looked up to see Gutman flailing frantically to get Janine off his back. The girl's face was set in a straight line, and her eyes burned as she tightened her grip around the man's neck and squeezed. Gutman began to sputter angrily, and finally after a completely unsuccessful attempt to grab Janine the guy turned his back to a tree and rushed backwards, intent on crushing Janine between his bulk and the tree. Janine was too fast for him however, dropping nimbly off the man's back and rolling away before he collided with an audible "oof." Growling inarticulately, Gutman regained his composure and rushed Janine full-on, arms cocked back to throw more punches.

For a moment Green was going to warn Janine, but something made her stop that train of thought, probably the way that Janine simply stood and stared at her oncoming opponent. Sure enough when Gutman got close enough to throw a swing, he let out a haymaker that Janine nimbly dodged. The punch left a huge opening, and Janine filled it by stepping in, hitting the man twice in the region of his kidneys, and backing away again. Green was frankly astounded. Janine was FAST.

Gutman gripped his side in pain for a moment, but just screamed in fury as he charged again, uncaring. Janine seemed completely unconcerned as she sidestepped his attack and kicked him savagely in the back of the knee. The large man went down to one knee with a cry of pain. "You little whores! I'm gonna kill both of you! Just w-" he started to say, but Janine grabbed him by the throat again from behind and began to squeeze.

"You are so lucky that she's here to watch me." Janine whispered to Gutman. Green wasn't sure if she was supposed to hear this part, but right now she could hear a pin drop.

There was a minute where Gutman still struggled. Janine was stone-faced as she watched Gutman get weaker and weaker, his arms flailing less and less as his sputtering died out. Finally, his arms dropped to his sides, and after a moment Janine let the man go. He slumped limply to the side, and didn't move again.

"Did... did you kill him?" Green asked hesitantly. Janine still hadn't turned to face her, and while Green was pretty sure she hadn't killed the Rocket, she wasn't 100% sure.

Janine shook her head, but didn't turn around to face Green as she stared down at Gutman for a minute. "No. He's breathing... are you ok Green? I'm sorry I broke my promise. I had to circle around the other way in the woods. I didn't think he'd just charge you like that."

Green got painfully to her feet, walked up behind Janine and put her arms around the older girl. She could hear Janine's labored breathing from here. Gently Green moved one hand under Janine's shirt so that it was resting on her stomach. The feeling of Green's cold palm on her warm belly made Janine break out into goosebumps. "I'm fine now. Are you fine?"

Janine moved her hand down and placed it atop Green's. "Yes" Janine said simply. She turned and smiled at Green, who smiled warmly back. "Now, you stay here. That was a nasty hit you took. I'll go and make sure Marta's ok. Stay put. I'm going to leave Golbat with you, just in case." Janine handed Green a pokeball, and ran off into the woods before Green could say another word.

Figuring she was due a drink, Green sat down on the unconscious body of Gutman as she dug in her bag for a bottle of vodka. Finding it, she quietly nursed it for a bit as she heard the faint noises of battle not far away. Wow, Janine was kind of scary when she wanted to be. Green guessed that Gutman was around 18 or 19 now that she could see his face close up, but Janine had beaten the crap out of him despite their age difference. Green gingerly felt her stomach and winced through the pain that bloomed from her touch. That was probably going to leave a nice bruise. Without hardly thinking, Green reached down and took a cigarette out of her bag as she reached down and dug through Gutman's pockets. She found a little bit of money that she pocketed, as well as a pack of clove cigarettes and a fancy brass lighter. Using the new lighter with a flick of the wrist, Green drew in the flame and settled back, idly smoking the cigarette as she waited for Janine's return.

Janine's return was heralded by a rythmic crashing noise coming closer and closer. Soon enough Green could see Janine running back, followed by Regirock, who was smashing undergrowth and branches as it wandered up besides Green. Before Green could even say anything, Regirock reached down and scooped her up in one arm as it made a strange soft noise like pebbles being ground together. Green looked perplexed as she glanced to Janine.

"I think it's just worried about you, Green" Janine said with a smile in her voice. "When I said I was coming to get you because you were hurt, it wouldn't leave me alone."

"Where's Charizard?" Green asked immediately. While she was touched at Regirock's sudden show of loyalty, she had been expecting Charizard to show up instead. "Is she hurt?"

"She's fine. We also captured that girl, Cairo. Charizard's watching her right now. Cook managed to get away, but he had to leave behind his Hypno. Marta captured it after he escaped. Too bad for him I guess." Janine turned and started heading back, while Regirock lumbered after her, grabbing Gutman with its free arm.

Entering the clearing, Green could clearly see the destruction left from the battle. Breloom, Kirlia and Snorlax were all unconscious and promptly returned. Cairo was indeed being watched closely by Charizard, who glared at the now terrified looking Rocket as she sat huddled by a tree. Marta was speaking to the two girls they had saved, but as soon as she saw Green being carried in by Regirock she rushed over. "Green! Oh thank god you're alright! How do you always manage to get into so much danger like that?!" she gushed as she lifted Green out of Regirock's arm and hugged her tight. Green, who was still smoking the cigarette, could only awkwardly get hugged as the two new girls wandered over. Marta held Green at arms length for a moment and glared at the cigarette. "And when did you start smoking, Green? I don't know if I approve of that."

"Um, thanks Marta, I started smoking today... maybe you should introduce me to these girls?" Green asked hesitantly, when it seemed like Marta wasn't gonna let go anytime soon.

Marta placed Green gently on the ground. "Oh, where are my manners? Green, this is Lori..." she motioned towards the girl who had been crying, who shyly waved back. She looked around Janine's age, and her eyes were still red-rimmed from the sobbing she'd done just a bit ago. She looked like a bit of a ditz, and the fact that she had long blond hair didn't help. "...and this is Tamia. They're both from the Celadon City Gym!"

Tamia stepped forward and shook Green's hand firmly as she smiled. The girl looked closer to Marta's age, with short-cropped red hair that didn't detract from her feminine features. "Good to meet you, Green. I can't thank you enough for saving us back there. We were supposed to be bringing this bag of Leaf Stones to Erika, and we got jumped. I don't even know how Team Rocket found out that we were coming this way. Where are the three of you heading next?"

"Well, I suppose we're going to Saffron City." Green said with a falsely casual shrug. She was very much looking forward to going and meeting Sabrina, the Gym Leader of Saffron. Ever since Marta and Janine had confirmed that she was in fact a psychic, and could maybe even do something to help recover her memories, Green had been waiting for an opportunity to go there.

"Well, the underground path isn't too far away from here. I know it's a little bit longer of a walk, but I insist you come to Celadon City with us. Finding a place for you to stay for the night is the least we could do. That and a good meal." Tamia said brightly.

"Oh yes! Plus, then you can meet the others! Oh, and you're such a cute little group!" Lori bubbled, smiling happily as she bounced up and down. "You can meet Erika too! I'm sure she'd be happy to thank the heroes who saved all these leaf stones herself!"

Green wanted to protest, but Marta cut in first. "Oh, of course we will! It sounds like fun!"

"Sure, why not? I'll never turn down a good meal." Janine said with a smirk on her face.

"Well... we gotta bring these Rockets to the police, right? Shouldn't we just head to Saffron?" Green persisted, not wanting to let this chance go.

"There's a guardhouse not far from here. We can just drop them off there." Tamia said in a 'don't worry about it' tone of voice.

Sighing, Green relented. "Fine, whatever. My stomach's starting to bruise up" she said easily as she walked over to Charizard. The lizard was watching Cairo, who was in turn now glaring at Green.

Cairo's voice came out in a rising shriek. "You! Get this damn mankilling beast out of my face! I'm glad we're being brought to the police, I can tell them about THAT thing! I'll make sure it's put down! I'll..."

Green's bag caught Cairo in the mouth in an upward swing, silencing the girl and knocking her head against the tree. While Cairo moaned and held her head in her hands, Green dropped her cigarette on the ground and stomped on it, grinding the ember out with her toe. "Fuck you, how about that? Regirock, pick her and the fat one up. We're leaving."

Marta smiled at Lori's horrified expression and Tamia's bemused one. "You'll have to excuse Green, she's very forthright."

"That's a good word for it, yes." Janine agreed as Green lit a new cigarette off Charizard's tail and pat the huge thing on the neck. Charizard simply made a contented noise in the back of her throat and continued to stare at Cairo, who didn't speak up again as she was lifted over Regirock's shoulder. Janine walked casually after Green as she headed back for the road.

Looking over her shoulder and offering an apologetic smile, Marta shrugged and gestured for Tamia and Lori to follow. Tamia came eagerly, asking Marta questions as they trudged back towards the path. Lori hesitated for a moment as everyone else wandered off, as if questioning the new company she was keeping, but reluctantly followed behind when nobody noticed notice she was missing.


	7. Interlude

INTERLUDE-Words That No One Will Hear

The man with the sea-green eyes walked away from Green, smoking his cigarette and whistling as he strolled through the streets, towards the north end of Lavender Town. As soon as he passed the border of the town however, an immediate change came over the man. He stopped his whistling and let his face go slack as his form began to pulse and dissolve, a third eye appearing on his forehead without a sound. Black spots appeared all over his body and clothes, and the color spread like ink until it consumed the human entirely, leaving a walking shadow the width of a hair with a triangle of sea-green specks of light. It soared effortlessly over the ground, turning gently as it steered itself towards a stone wall near the foot of the mountain. It paused a ways before the wall however, its' pace slowing considerably as it suddenly wheeled around to get a good look around itself. The surrounding landscape took on a grayish tint, grass pausing mid-rustle as time slowed . "REVEAL YOURSELF. THIS SORT OF ATTITUDE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED."

There was a flicker in the air, and something black and oily slid into view suddenly, as if appearing from a hairline crack in midair. It shaped itself into a shadow nearly identical to the other, except a trio of cold blue eyes sprang to life on its face. It spoke in a self-satisfied, gloating voice. "YOUR FACTION HAS ALTERED AN OBSTACLE. THAT IS GROUNDS FOR A FURTHER ALTERATION IN THE GAME ON OUR PART."

The first shadow, much to the second's annoyance, looked around for another moment in puzzlement. "ONE OF YOU? IT WAS ONLY ONE OF YOU?"

"WE WOULD BE MORE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT THE FURTHER ALTERATION WAS GOING TO BE, WERE WE IN YOUR SITUATION." Snapped the blue-eyed shadow. It was pleased to see the the sea-green eyes turn noticeably darker on the other shadow.

"IT WAS A MINOR INFRACTION. SEVERITY OF THE INFRACTION IS TO BE KEPT IN MIND." The first shadow said, in a warning tone of voice.

The second shadow sounded completely smug. "WE SHALL, WE SHALL... THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS FOR PIECES TO DIE OVER MINOR ALTERATIONS THOUGH, DON'T YOU AGREE?"

Before the first shadow could reply, there came a new voice. While the voices of the other shadows made the earth tremble and the human body quake uncomfortably with their sheer force, this new voice was notably softer, coming out in slow but insistent hisses like a huge snake slithering across the universe. Instead of coming from a single point, it felt like the voice was coming from all directions at once, giving the softer voice a disturbingly clear harmonic. "alterations... all factions must receive an alteration if an alteration is made, am i correct? i am new to the game."

The two shadows, who a moment ago had been seething at each other, immediately forgot their squabble. The two looked wildly about, their figures expanding as their eyes darkened. "IMPOSSIBLE. SHOW YOURSELF. I REFUSE TO BELIEVE YOUR FACTION HAS JOINED." Demanded the one with sea-green eyes furiously.

All around them, small wisps of blackness began appearing in the air, so tiny that it looked like black dust hanging all throughout the clearing. Slowly, they began to swirl together, specks flowing into more and more specks until a figure began to take shape. It started to laugh as the two watching shadows moved back noticeably from it. It was already larger than them, and getting bigger. Once it was nearly ten feet tall, it finally stopped growing, and a trio of blood-red eyes appeared on what could only be called the head. While the other shadows had neat edges, separating them from their surroundings in a crisp and definite way, the red-eyed shadow was lined with curling wisps of shadow that made it look like a smoldering forest fire. "oh yes" it said, in that same soft all-voice. "we have, as they say, bought a stake in the game."

The silence was palpable. Eventually, the sea-green eyed shadow spoke again. It sounded assertive, but also just a bit pleading. "WE DO NOT BELIEVE OUR ACTIONS NEED A COUNTER. IT WAS A TRIFLE OF AN ACTION, AND THE PIECE COULD HAVE GOTTEN THE CIGARETTES OF HER OWN ACCORD GIVEN A CHANCE."

The blue-eyed shadow seemed to consider for a moment before responding. "AGREED. SUCH AN ACTION CAN BE OVERLOOKED."

This complete change in the blue-eyed shadow did not go unnoticed. The red-eyed shadow's eyes widened, and it made a soft noise like laughter. "you were so giddy to exact your response only a moment ago. it couldn't possibly be because of myself that you are changing your mind, hmm? worried i will not make a proper alteration? worry not, i already have many ideas."

"YOU ARE ONLY HERE FOR THE DEVASTATION! CARRION BIRD!" The blue-eyed shadow shot back. The voice shook with a violent rage, and the green-eyes shadow backed away as the blue-eyes shadow's form became momentarily less focused, tendrils of shadow boiling off it like steam. It seemed to realize it has lost its cool a bit, and after a silent moment it pulled itself back to a smooth and unmarred appearance. There was a long moment before it spoke. "IF YOU INSIST ON IT, WE SHALL ACQUIESCE TO YOUR REQUEST. WE SHALL AGREE TO AN ALTERATION ON OUR PART AS WELL."

"goody goody goody..." said the red-eyed shadow gleefully as it began hopping from foot to foot, jumping in a little circle to show his obvious pleasure with the situation. It stopped abruptly and looked to the blue-eyes. "you go first. i have to think about what i wish to happen."

Silently, the blue-eyes shadow watched the frozen horizon as it considered. The shadow with the sea-green eyes shifted in a vaguely uncomfortable way after a while, and spoke in a hesitant voice that carried a note of concern. "THE INDISCRETION WAS A MINOR ONE. THE RULES DICTATE THAT BALANCING ALTERATIONS MUST BE JUST AS MINOR, IF NOT LESS."

A sudden flash of blue filled the world for a moment and went away. The blue-eyes shadow turned to its audience, and there was a definite feeling of smugness. "i HAVE MADE AN APPROPRIATE ALTERATION."

"ohh ohh what did you do? give her herpes? gave her problems getting to sleep? took another precious memory?" the red-eyes shadow asked eagerly, almost vibrating on the spot in excitement like a puppy.

"WE HAVE CHANGED THIS REALITY A BIT REGARDING THE DIARY THE PIECE CARRIES. IT SHOULD LEAD TO INTERESTING RESULTS." It responded curtly, as it turned to face the red-eyes.

The shadow with the sea-green eyes seemed perturbed by this. "WE ARE NOT SURE THAT IS AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE FOR OUR ACTION" it replied, though it sounded resigned to the fate it had been given.

"WORDS ARE ONLY WHAT HUMANS MAKE THEM TO BE. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH CRUELER." The blue-eyes shadow shot back. "BE GLAD I DID NOT ALTER THE COURSE OF THE COMET."

"my turn, my turn!" the red-eyes said gleefully, the edges of its shadowy form billowing in response to the excitement. "i have the greatest idea. oh, the greatest. so great. you both will be sooooooo mad that you didn't think it up earlier." it went on, tittering as the eyes in the middle of its face began to spin slowly.

"WELL, GET ON WITH IT." The sea-green eyes said, in a voice that sounded weary with annoyance. This eventuality had not been foreseen, and it was taxing many of the shadow's plans to their limits. "WE WOULD LIKE TO CONSULT WITH OUR PEERS."

"talking to the piece... that is a major alteration, correct?" the red-eyes asked in a low and gentle tone of voice.

"ALMOST IN EVERY INSTANCE THIS IS THE CASE." replied the blue-eyes.

"in that case, i elect to speak with another of the players on the board, and not the piece." Though there was no mouth for the thing to smile, there was definitely a feeling of smug satisfaction, hanging in the air like stale smoke.

"WHICH PLAYER ARE YOU CONSULTING WITH?" asked the sea-green eyed shadow hurriedly. It seemed suddenly alert and watchful. "INFORM US, WE COMMAND IT."

"i believe that is my decision. in fact i do not believe i am forced to tell you. you see i have read the rules too though i find them childish. i am well within my rights." The red-eyed shadow hesitated for a moment, but neither of the others seemed to have any further words to spare. The thing bowed low, still radiating that feeling of smug superiority. "good day gentlemen. i wish you all the luck in the game ahead." With little more warning than that, the red-eyed shadow burst into millions of tiny wisps of darkness, which scattered around the landscape in all directions.

The two remaining shadows hesitated for a moment. Both felt like the situation had slightly gotten away from them, and while they hated each other with a passion, right now there was something worse than either of them out there wrecking their game.

"WE MUST KEEP A WATCH ON IT." The sea-green eyed shadow said in a subdued tone of voice.

"AGREED. WE SHALL OBSERVE IT FIRST." The blue-eyed shadow responded in a buisness-like tone of voice. There was a black blur against the world for a moment, and then it too was gone.

The sea-green eyes watched the distance for a few moments, and then the shadow turned and glided into the stone wall of the mountain without even glancing back. Slowly, the gray tint drained from the world, and as color flooded back in, so did time.

There was no evidence that any meeting whatsoever had taken place.


	8. Chapter 16

Chapter 16-Time Flies By In The City Of Light

Green was extremely bored. Ever since they had dropped off the Rockets at the guard post, she had been left to walk alone as the others had moved into small conversations. On the one hand, Green was glad Janine and Lori had started speaking. Janine certainly didn't seem to have a lot of people to talk to, and Lori was near the same age. The only problem was that with Marta and Tamia speaking to each other at the head of the group that left Green silently taking up the rear. Green had summoned Regirock, and now rode easily on its shoulder as it followed along behind the group. Green contented herself with opening the pokedex, flipping through the features as she tried to pass the time. The most interesting thing that had happened in the last hour was when they had all dropped by the pokemon center, which they hadn't even been at for ten minutes.

"Green!" called a sudden voice that made her glance up. Marta was facing up at Green and smiling as she stood next to a sign for Celadon City. Green wondered how long she had been zoned out. "Tamia mentioned that she'd like to help me shop for some shoes more suited for the road. Would you like to come? Tamia says Lori will bring the two of you to the Gym if not."

Green considered for a moment, but the part of her mind that was still Rudolph completely revolted at the thought of shopping for shoes. She smiled reassuringly. "I'll manage without. You girls have fun." As Marta turned to Tamia, looking excited like she'd just gotten permission from her mother to go, Green reflected that Marta was a bit of a lonely person as well. She wondered how many friends the older girl had back home. Marta certainly seemed like the kind of girl who had more stuffed animal friends than real friends.

Lori didn't seem happy when Tamia left. She glanced unhappily up at Green for a moment, who stared back from the top of Regirock. "Well... I guess we'd better get going. I'll show you two your room when we get to the Gym." She stomped ahead, leading Janine and Green through the city.

"What was that all about? Something up her butt?" Green whispered down at Janine when a moment could be spared.

"I think you annoy her a little bit." Janine whispered back as she climbed up on Regirock's other shoulder. The huge pokemon didn't even seem to notice as it plodded along behind Lori. "Lori has... ideas on how trainers should act. Especially ones around your age, and especially girls."

"What is it I do that even gives her cause to question my quality of character?" Green asked hotly.

"Well... the cursing and violence and drinking and smoking I suppose." Janine responded casually.

Green snorted and looked away. "Hmm. Very funny. But, I saved her and her friend. You figure she'd be a little more grateful."

Janine sighed. "Oh, she's grateful. It's just that grateful isn't the same as accepting, I guess." Leaning over, Janine gave Green a quick peck on the cheek before hopping down again. "I'm gonna go try talking to her a little more. She's not a bad girl, just has ideas. Don't worry about it." With that, she was off, catching up to Lori in a few bounds.

Green sighed and settled onto Regirock's shoulder again. People were so damn annoying sometimes. A little self-consciously, Green took out a bottle and took a quick swig before putting it back hurriedly. "Ideas..." she grumbled.

By the time they reached the Gym, Green wanted a nap. Getting knocked around was tiring, and especially when you added in the extra alcohol, she could just curl up on the floor and fall asleep with only her arm over her face to block out the sun. Green was vaguely aware of the Celadon City Gym, which was a carbon copy of the Gyms she'd seen previously except for the addition of a two-story building attached onto the back.

"Behind the Gym is where a lot of us live." Lori said, in answer to their unspoken questions. "It's kind of an apartment building. Erika is real kind to the girls who work here. There'll be no trouble finding you a room. We're always got an extra one or two." To Green's relief, Lori headed right for the apartments.

"Can't we go and see the Gym first?" Janine asked in a disappointed voice. A few of the grass types people often used were part poison. Green bet Janine was eager to try battling against someone else.

"Normally yes, but right now I've got to go and see Erika. We're already late delivering these leaf stones, Erika's going to be worried sick. Don't worry though! I'll stop back by after I meet with her to pick you up." Lori said in an offhand sort of way. Green didn't miss the look Lori shot her way, one of brief unhappy calculation.

"Where are you two going?" Green asked casually, hopping down from Regirock's shoulder and returning the huge stony pokemon.

"Lori says that she wants to show me the Celadon Department Store later. You wanna come?" Janine asked, looking away from Lori and smiling down at Green.

Green was about to answer, until she saw the expression on Lori's face. The girl had the annoyed look of someone who's just been told they have to watch their little sister over the weekend. "No... no I think I'll stay behind. I want to take a nap and just keep it easy today."

Janine looked disappointed, but Lori perked up almost immediately. "That's a shame. Come on; let's go get you a room. I shouldn't be too long at all, Janine."

"You sure you don't want to come?" Janine asked, looking hopeful. "We'll wait for you to nap a bit, if you'd like." Lori frowned and crossed her arms, but said nothing.

"Really, I'm fine. I'm just not in the mood to do much. You don't have to worry over me so much." Green said consolingly. If there was one thing Green didn't want to do, it was go on an awkward shopping trip with a girl who obviously had a problem with her. Plus, the idea of sleep seemed better and better now, and Green was really looking forward to getting a nap in.

The next half-hour went by in a blur as Green tried to fight the almost overpowering urge to take a nap. Lori showed them around one of the gardens that surrounded the Gym before bringing the two of them up to their room, a rather small dorm-like room with a small bathroom attached. There wasn't much in the room besides a computer in the corner, a dresser, and two beds.

"Sorry it's a bit cramped. You two will probably have to stay in here together. We can probably find a place for your friend Marta to stay, so at least you won't have to share any beds." Lori said brightly to Janine as she and Green relieved themselves of their bags. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Be ready to go when I get back, Janine!" Lori called as she shut the door behind her with a click.

Green let out a huge sigh, dropped her bag and began to walk towards one of the beds. "Thank god. I'm gonna sleep for a week. Hey Janine, wha..." she began, but was cut off when Janine walked forward, and in one movement swept the smaller girl up in her arms. Green was speechless as she looked up into Janine's face.

"I was hoping we could have a few minutes together." Janine said casually as she walked towards one of the beds. She settled down onto the left bed, and pulled Green close to her chest as she laid back, closing her eyes. "We haven't got the chance to just be alone for a while."

There was a moment where Green wanted to pull away. Something about Janine's unerring affection put her off just a little. However, it was warm against Janine's chest, and frankly she was lying in between a pair of breasts, which she couldn't complain about. Deciding that she could stop anytime she liked, Green buried herself closer into Janine, relishing the warmth as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

The dream that passed through Green's mind was nonsensical this time. Shapes and colors blurred together, and every now and then she would recognize a shape or figure in the swirling mass. There was Rudolph, aging from a baby to an old man in the span of a few minutes. A naked girl cried as she sat curled in a corner. Blood along the wall, pooling on the ground and rising. Many more images flashed by, but at some point Green could feel herself wanting to wake up. The images coming now were dark and shapeless for the most part, but that only made them all the more horrifying. She was sure there were green, blue and red eyes in the shadowy mass.

Green woke with a start. The room was dark, and silent. There was a moment where Green began to panic; thrashing under the covers as she tried to escape from the bed, sure that she was still in a nightmare. For a moment she thought that it was like the last time, and that there would be HER again, coming towards her with murder in her eyes...

There was the sound of two girls running down the hallway outside. They were giggling and talking excitedly, and the sound dopplered away almost as quickly as it had begun. The sound seemed to calm Green, and she relaxed as the realization washed over her that this was reality. Janine must have simply left already.

Once her breathing slowed, Green got unsteadily out of bed and stumbled around until she found a light switch, which she flipped on. The bright light stung her eyes, making her groan as she stumbled to the desk in the corner and flopped into the chair. Once her eyes began to adjust to the light, Green turned the chair towards her bag and fished out a fresh set of clothes and her pokedex. She reached over and powered on the computer, deciding to sort through her pokemon now that she had a spare minute.

Once the computer had completely powered on, but before Green could do anything, there was a beeping noise from both the computer and her pokedex as a new window opened on the computer. Focusing on it, Green read the words "Incoming Call: Home" and a prompt to accept the call. Green froze as she began to think quickly about what to do. After a quick scan to make sure there was nothing questionable in view, Green reluctantly accepted the call.

A face appeared on the screen, looking excited. "Green? Hello there! Oh gosh I haven't spoken with you in a few days! I thought you were going to call me once you got to Pewter City, after all." She sounded excited, but she also had that disapproving inflection to the voice parents get when they've been unduly worried. The woman was pretty, with shoulder-length black hair and a pair of reading glasses perched on her head. Though her brown eyes were stern, her mouth was turned up in the corners with suppressed joy at seeing her daughter.

"Um... yeah. Sorry about that... mom." Green said lamely. She sat there for a minute, thinking wildly of something else to say, but nothing seemed appropriate.

There was a moment of hesitation before the woman spoke again. "Well, don't worry about it. How has your adventure been going? You always know that you don't have to do it if you don't want to. You can come back home anytime you want to." Green's mother insisted, looking a bit worried now. "I never really liked the battling myself, all said and done."

"I'm doing fine, mom. And I'm doing fine at battling. I've already got three badges!" Green said proudly, feeling on firmer ground here.

Green's mom looked genuinely impressed. "Three? Already? Green, that's great! You're well on your way to becoming the Pokemon Champion!" She exclaimed excitedly. "I'm going to call your father tonight and tell him about this. He's going to be so excited..." Green's mother trailed off, and she looked suddenly a bit nervous. "Um... I spoke with Professor Oak. He said that you and Blue met briefly... are you ok?"

Green was incredibly confused. "Uh... yeah mom. I'm fine. He's kind of a douche, but what are you gonna do?"

"Language!" Green's mother scolded, though she didn't look too upset about it. "Well, I'm glad to hear that in any case. I was beginning to worry..." Green's mother trailed off, and leaned in closer to get a good look at Green. "Oh my stars! Green, what in the world happened to your eye? It's swollen!" She exclaimed with a gasp.

Green reached up and gingerly touched her eye. It still hurt incredibly, and she wondered how the woman hadn't noticed before now. "Yeah, I just got in a fight mom. It's not a big deal."

"I don't think you've ever been in a fight before! Who did you get into a fight with?" the woman asked, in a sharp and insistent voice.

For a moment, Green was going to respond with "Team Rocket", but looking at the way the woman looked both angry and scared made Green rethink her statement. "Nobody really, just some guy trying to steal from some girls. Really mom, you don't have to worry."

There was a moment where Green's mother glared at her, as if scanning her face for any trace of a lie. They sat that way for a moment, until the woman relaxed visibly. "Alright. I'm sorry. I just get worried for you out there on the open road. You seem to have taken well to it though. You're a lot different. A lot more confident now. Maybe this was all good for you" Green's mother said cheerfully, though Green could see she didn't entirely mean it.

"I'd like to think so. Well, it was good talking to you mom, but I have to go and take a shower. I stink terribly."

The woman burst into laughter, and waved a hand at Green. "Well then by all means, go shower! I wouldn't want to keep you from that. Keep me informed about your adventure! Your father can't wait to hear about what you've done. Have a great day, dear!" The figure on the other side of the screen reached forward, and then the window closed.

Green breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed back into the chair, reaching nonchalantly for her bottle of vodka, and draining it in one go. She sat for a minute, making sure she didn't puke everywhere before smiling and getting unsteadily to her feet. "Thank god for showers."

It was a nearly a half hour before Green was done with her shower. The water had felt so good that she had just sat there, letting the water run over her as steam billowed up around her. She was now getting slowly dressed, attempting to find some clean socks as she rummaged in her bag. There was a thud, and Green looked down to see that the diary had rolled out onto the floor, where it lay peacefully. Picking up the book, Green flopped onto the bed and opened it up. There was probably some more time before Janine came back, so why not read some more into her own personal life? She found the place she had left off, and continued reading.

-Dear Diary. Today was a totally tiring day. I went to May's house early in the morning because we were supposed to help Professor Oak with some of the chores around his lab. Plus, there was always the chance I'd get to see Blue 3. It turns out the chores involved helping to move bags of pokemon food around the lab. I could barely help lift one! Blue ended up coming, but every time I tried to talk with him he was busy doing something. Professor Oak brought us all lunch, and afterwards he let us go and see the newly hatched pokemon. I got to hold a Kangaskhan baby, even though the mother was standing right over me the whole time. Blue didn't want to come and see the pokemon. He left after the work was done and I didn't see him again the rest of the day. I kind of want to ask May what Blue thinks of me, but I'm also too embarrassed to say anything. Red also came by. He says he came to see the starters again, but he seemed more interested in talking to me. I kind of wish he would take a hint.

Green made a face. It sounded like the girl she used to be couldn't spot a hint if it were floating in front of her eyes. Of course, the younger you were the harder it was to spot things like that. Flipping to the next day, Green was disappointed to see more of the same. Small writing filled the page, all done with a purple pen that was incredibly girly, discussing in length. She was about to toss the book away, when the last entry by Real Green caught her eye. There were, now that she came to look closely at the page, a few smudges that lay scattered across the page, warping the ink where they had landed. It didn't take some sort of genius to guess they had been tears. There was even a spot or two of crusted mud, grey smudges on the paper. With a sigh, Green read on.

-Dear Diary. Today was the most embarrassing day ever. I finally got up the courage to go and talk to Blue today. I asked him if he wanted to walk to Viridian City with me, or maybe even as far as Pewter. Then he asked me why. I told him that I've always sort of liked him, and I was hoping we could talk and hang out. He told me he would never be caught dead going on a pokemon adventure with me, and asked why I was such a stupid and silly girl. I mostly finished crying before I came home, but just thinking about it while writing has just made me sad again. That wasn't even the worst of it. Red tried to come and talk to me when I was running back home. I tried to run around him, and that albino kid Steve pushed me into the mud. Mom tried to come and talk to me. I think she got told about what happened, probably by Red. I felt bad ignoring her, but I just didn't feel like talking to anyone. I was supposed to start my pokemon journey tomorrow. Now I don't even want to go.

Green put down the diary and considered it carefully as she reached for her half-empty bottle. Well, this explained a few things. Try as she might, she couldn't really summon up a lot of hate for Blue over this incident. For one, it was probably what Green needed to hear, especially if she was beginning to obsess. It did mean that everyone saw Green enter her house a brokenhearted crying girl and left it as someone completely different. She wondered idly if Red thought Blue turned her gay. Suddenly Green was done with the room. She wanted to get up and go see the Gym, and she was tired of waiting for Janine. Taking one last drink for good luck and grabbing her pack of cigarettes, Green headed out of the door, and down the quiet hallway to the stairs. She decided not to think about the whole issue with Blue for now. It wouldn't do any good dwelling on it now in any case.

After a short march down the staircase, Green was back out in the open air, blinking into the overcast light as she took out a cigarette and the lighter she stole from Gutman. "I need to get a flask or somethin'." Green mumbled as she got her eyes adjusted and smoked the cigarette with a vengeance. Once the first one was done she lit a second, and walked casually down to the front entrance of the Gym. Once there, she paused at the entrance, wanting to finish her smoke before heading indoors.

"You shouldn't smoke, you know." announced a voice that made Green turn curiously on the spot. There was a girl there, around 16 or 17 or so if Green was any guess. She wore gold-rimmed glasses, had her brown hair up in a tight bun, and was frowning down at Green with a look of obvious annoyance.

Green took a long drag of her cigarette, eyes locked on the new girl's. She exhaled, and asked her question in the same breath. "Why?"

The new girl flushed red. "Well, despite the fact that it's bad for you, this is a grass gym. We don't allow people to smoke here."

"You guys should really put up signs or somethin'. I didn't see any notice about that." Green drawled, taking another drag. She made no indication of getting rid of the offending object.

"It's a common sense rule!" The girl exclaimed back, and held out her hand. "Just go ahead and give it to me."

Green narrowed her eyes and took another drag. "No. And you know what? I don't think you have the authority to do anything at all. You try to grab this thing away from me and I'll break those pretty glasses you have on by the way." Green snapped, reaching out and poking the girl hard with her free index finger. "So why don't you push off, alright?"

The girl looked completely flustered. "What? How dare you! I'll..."

"Mary!" exclaimed a familiar voice. Both Green and the girl with glasses turned to see Tamia and Marta walking up to the Gym, each carrying a bag and looking pleased. Tamia hadn't shouted at the girl called Mary in anger, and smiled as she closed the distance. "I haven't seen you in a while, Mary! Last I saw you went to go and visit your mother. And how are you doing, Green? You look like you got some well-earned sleep."

Mary still looked off-balance. She glanced at Green, who was smiling up at her with a serene expression. "I've been... fine. My mother's well also. She was sitting up in bed and everything when I left. She looks very healthy. Tamia, who is this girl?" Mary gestured to Green, while pointedly not looking at her.

"Oh I'm sorry. I thought you two had met already. Mary, this is Green. She helped save that shipment of leaf stones we were bringing back." Tamia glanced back and forth between the two girls. "You two ARE ok, right?" she asked suspiciously.

"We're fine." Green smiled at Mary, who hesitated before nodding and smiling herself.

"Good." Tamia said as she continued to glance back and forth at them. She looked like she didn't believe a word of it. "Let's go then. Mary, do you mind showing these two the Gym while I go put these bags up?" she asked, gathering up her bags and already beginning to walk away.

"I'm supposed to be tending to the rose bushes!" Mary whined after Tamia before turning and frowning at the two of them. "Oh alright. Let's go and see the Gym. As soon as Tamia comes back I'm leaving you to her again." With that, she turned and walked in through the front doors, leaving Green and Marta to hurry in after her to not get left behind. Green took a last long drag of her cigarette before throwing it on the stone floor and stomping the flame out.

The inside of the gym was nothing like Green had been expecting. The other Gyms had been mostly places for battling, except Cerulean City where they almost ignored it in favor of entertainment. Here there was indeed a field in the middle of the floor for battling, but the people in here didn't seem too concerned with it. Everywhere else on the floor seemed to be filled with girls doing various chores, and most of those chores seemed to revolve around the upkeep of the huge amount of plants of all descriptions in this room. The ceiling overhead was a sunroof, open to the world at the moment, so a pleasant breeze filled the open space, carrying the aroma of the plants and snippets of conversation.

Mary seemed a bit pleased when both Green and Marta were speechless. "Yeah, a lot of people don't usually know what to say. Erika's family is very wealthy. She had a lot of the Gym rebuilt when she was given the place. The place was a lot drearier before that." Mary looked a lot less annoyed now that they were inside of the Gym. She smiled and greeted a few of the girls working on various projects, who in turn would always smile back, exchange pleasantries for a moment, and then hurry back off to do more work.

"Why are there so many girls who stay here?" Green asked Mary as another worker waved to them and got back to work. "None of the girls here look over 20 or so."

Mary seemed incredibly reluctant to answer the question, but she eventually gave in. "This Gym is sort of... a halfway home for some of the girls here. Sometimes a girl shows up and needs a place to sleep for a while, and some hot food. Erika is very understanding. She tries to help."

Green noticed the way Mary didn't make eye contact with them, and guessed that Erika had probably been understanding about Mary once. "That's nice of her. Do you guys do any battling here, or do you just do stuff with plants all day?"

"I don't know if it would be fair to fight you." Mary said, and Green could see a little smile appear on the girl's face as she looked away. "I wouldn't want to discourage you. The other girls around here would probably be a better ma..."

"I don't think winning would discourage me at all." Green said, cutting through Mary's sentence in her most innocent voice.

Turning around to glare at Green, Mary narrowed her eyes. "Alright, you know what? I'll fight if you want. I suppose we have a little bit of time before Tamia comes to pick you two up." Mary turned and marched off towards the field. "Don't cry to me when you have to go to the pokemon center."

Green was smiling and humming to herself as she wandered over to the ring, fiddling with her pokeballs. Marta was already rushing up behind her, looking worried as people all around began to whisper to each other excitedly. "Green, are you sure you know what you're doing? Mary's supposed to be a real good trainer, Tamia says."

"Well, so am I. Look I'll be fine. I have Charizard and this place is a grass gym. Even if I lose, so what? I don't give a FUCK!" Green cried cheerfully. "Hey, how many pokemon are we using for this?"

"Three, unless you don't have enough good pokemon to battle with" snapped Mary. She was blushing heavily as the motion of the entire gym turned towards the ring in a slowly expanding wave.

"Are you drunk, Green?" Marta asked, concerned.

"No no, that's quite alright. I don't even think I'm going to use all three. You ready?" Green said airily, ignoring Marta.

A woman who looked in her mid-twenties, dressed up in jeans and an old t-shirt covered with soil, stepped forward from the crowd as she removed her headphones. She laid a hand on Mary's shoulder. "Well now, hold on there. I'll be refereeing the match. Not that I don't trust you. Now, three on three? Right. On my signal then." There was a hush over the audience as she raised her hand. Green and Mary backed away from each other and reached for their pokeballs.

Green didn't even hear what the woman shouted. Once the referee's hand fell, Green was throwing out her first pokemon. Kirlia appeared in front of a shrieking Victreebell, and the smaller pokemon noticeably leaned away as Green called out to her, "Calm Mind!" Kirlia seemed to steel herself against her new opponent, placing hands together and closing her eyes as a blue glow appeared around her head.

"Sunny Day!" Mary called, pointing dramatically at the sky. Victreebell shrieked again, spread its' leaves wide, and looked up through the sunroof.

Green stopped smiling and glanced upwards. The announcement of that move brought something up that had crossed her mind a while ago. "They can't change the weather, can they? That's like, fucking impossible right?" She asked to nobody in particular. For a moment the skies remained cloudy. Then, the clouds opened up and the sun came flooding into the Gym, bathing the arena in light. Victreebell's leaves noticeably grew more vibrantly green, and it shrieked in a vaguely contented way. Green considered for a moment. "I might be fucked" she concluded. "Kirlia, Psychic!"

Kirlia opened her eyes, and a fierce red glow blazed out. Victreebell lifted off the ground, levitated for a moment and drifted near the ceiling, before being slammed roughly into the floor. When it didn't get up, the referee gestured towards Mary. "Victreebell is unable to battle."

Mary was already throwing out her next pokeball as she returned Victreebell. "Tangrowth!" The ball burst open when it hit the ground, and the huge form of Tangrowth rose from the tiny ball like a wave of green. The vines all over the thing noticeably twitched in the sunlight, reaching skyward for more nourishing sunlight. "Solarbeam!" Mary commanded, pointing down at Kirlia with a smile.

The huge viney creature, moving much faster than Green would have anticipated, had already began gathering energy by the time she could even say anything. "Kirlia, watch..." Green began, but Tangrowth fired a huge beam of golden light at the smaller pokemon. Kirlia tried to move out of the way, but the huge beam bowled it right over. Green had to look away from the brilliant golden flash, but by the time she looked back Kirlia was lying on the arena floor, wisps of smoke coming off her as she lay still.

"Kirlia is unable to battle." The referee said simply as Green returned her pokemon without a word. Many of the audience members were mumbling to each other about the match, and Green was annoyed to hear whispering that she was going to lose.

"Regirock, go!" Green called, releasing the large rocky pokemon. It was still nearly a foot shorter than Tangrowth, but it didn't back down at all as it squared its' shoulders and waited for an order.

"Solarbeam!" Mary commanded again. Tangrowth reached up with its arms again, and before Regirock could do anything the vine pokemon had fired another beam out at it. Regirock was hit straight in the chest, and it fell to one knee as the beam beat mercilessly against it. When Tangrowth finally stopped, Regirock groaned like a landslide, wisps of smoke curling up and away from the body. "I don't know what you intended to do with that pokemon. What can that pokemon even DO to my Tangrowth?" Mary taunted, grinning horribly.

"Explosion!" Green called back. She had just been glad that Regirock had managed to endure one Solarbeam. Regirock's eyes suddenly shone a pure, dazzling white, and then there was an explosion that knocked Green off her feet, and blew dust everywhere. Green got up, coughing furiously as she tried to fan away the dust with her hands. All around people were either squinting to see through the dust or getting back to their feet. Green watched the middle of the arena anxiously once she could make out the form of Regirock. The large pokemon was lying on its back, its eyes dimmed. It was charred black and didn't move. Green returned the pokemon even as the referee came back into view. The dust was settling all over now, and once again the brilliant light was streaming in through the roof. Green could make out Mary, who was unsteadily getting to her feet, and Tangrowth, who wasn't.

"Double knockout. Both pokemon are unable to battle." The referee said coolly. She didn't seem fazed by the turn of events at all. "Ladies, send out your next pokemon at my signal."

Mary and Green both had their pokeballs out before the referee's hand fell. Green barely registered the excited chatter all around them. Mary had her lips drawn into a line, and she looked completely determined to make a fight out of this.

This time Mary was slightly faster on the draw, and released her pokemon before Green could release Charizard. "Sunflora!" she cried as the flower pokemon appeared. Its head swiveled at once towards the light, and Green could see a glow begin to pulse along the flower. The thing had on a blue scarf, which struck Green as quite a bit odd. Charizard was released only a moment later. The pokemon took to the sky almost at once, turning her face happily to meet the sun as she circled just below the sunroof. She roared once, causing gasps and cheers from the watchers as she dived down towards Sunflora.

Unfortunately for Charizard, Sunflora had gotten more of an opportunity to get ready. Just as Charizard turned down towards the match, Mary commanded "Solarbeam!" Sunflora spread its leaves wide, and fired off a golden beam of light that completely dwarfed the one Tangrowth had shot. It hit Charizard full on, and the golden light completely obscured the dragon from view. The only thing anyone could see was a faint shadow, and then Charizard fell out of the beam and down towards the ground, spiraling slowly. Green could feel her shoulders slumping even as Mary whooped in victory, echoed all around by the crowd.

Green gritted her teeth, and watched Charizard's falling form. She was about to give up and return the pokemon, until she noticed the eye opening, and the wings slowly extending. "Flamethrower!" She called, pointing at the flower pokemon. That seemed to snap Charizard out of it, and as everyone watched the wings flapped open, slowing the pokemon moments before it hit the ground. Charizard suddenly let loose a huge downward gout of flame before hitting the ground, and the force of the blast seemed to barely keep it from hitting the hard ground. Charizard pounded her wings once, and shot towards Sunflora while still firing a continual blast of flame. Before Sunflora could do anything Charizard was upon it, flapping to a halt and immolating the flower pokemon. It screamed and began thrashing about as the flames slowly died, leaving the thing charred black as it slumped over. Mary returned it, red in the face. Charizard landed, looking around haughty as it regarded the clapping and cheering onlookers. Green could see that Charizard was hurt pretty bad, but she guessed that the pokemon would never show it.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Green watched people as they approached Mary to offer their condolences, or approached Charizard and hesitantly stroked the pokemon's neck. Green noticed that Mary looked her way once, offering only a small tight-lipped nod before bustling off. She hadn't even given Green a chance to say anything. Green saw Marta bite her lip, and follow Mary after shooting Green an apologetic look.

"That was quite an intense battle. Mary's not easy to beat" said a pleased and formal voice. Green looked over her shoulder to see the referee from the match standing serenely next to her. She was a full two heads taller than Green, and had dark green hair in a ponytail. Green couldn't help but notice that she wasn't wearing a bra under her shirt either, and it was taking a conscious effort of will to not make her eyes drop to the woman's sizable breasts. "Unfortunately for Mary, she tends to have the same strategy all the time. Maybe this will show her that she should consider using some varied techniques."

Nodding, Green looked for something to say. "Yeah. Getting predictable isn't good. Sorry, what's your name again? I'm Green."

"Julia. I'm in charge of a lot of the botanical projects around here. It's a pleasure to have you here, Green." Julia replied pleasantly as she reached up and shook the hand Green offered. "I heard how much you helped out the others... I don't think I can thank you enough."

"Well, this is a nice Gym you run here. The place feels like you're outside all the time" Green commented, looking around at the vibrantly colored plants all about. "And it's no problem about Team Rocket either; I'd have done it even if your girls weren't being threatened."

"Nevertheless we're in your debt. Please, if there's anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to ask." Julia said, giving Green a gracious smile. "One of those stones was to evolve my Exeggcute, so I feel personally indebted to you."

Green thought for a moment before shaking her head. "Nope, can't think of anything besides a place to stay. I need those badges, after all. Can you get me a battle with Erika?"

Julia nodded enthusiastically. "I'm afraid Erika's teaching a flower arrangement course later, and then I've got to go and check on how the roses are doing... hmm. How about tomorrow? I'll make sure you definitely get a match."

"Sure... say, you haven't had some kid with a Wartortle, Blastoise, Ivysaur or Venusaur come and challenge you, huh? In the last day or two?" Green asked hopefully, not really sure why she was doing so.

Looking up at the ceiling, Julia considered the question. Green felt her eyes wander back to the breasts, before snapping back to her face as she answered. "I'm afraid not. We haven't gotten a challenge for a badge in nearly a week, in fact. Why, is something the matter? Should I watch out for this guy?" Julia asked, her brow creasing in concern.

Green shook her head quickly. "No, no... nevermind. Forget I brought it up." Looking around the Gym, Green realized she had lost Marta completely and nobody here seemed familiar. "Look, I've gotta go and find my friends. I'll find you tomorrow for that battle with Erika. It was nice meeting you." Green waved towards Julia, who waved serenely back, before bustling off in search of Marta.

"Good luck! Mary usually likes to sulk out back!" called Julia, waving as she watched Green bustle over and retrieve her pokemon from the small crowd gathered around it. Julia frowned just a little as she put her earphones back in. "Was she staring at my boobs?"

After returning Charizard, Green set off outside in search of Mary and Marta. Following Julia's advice, she wandered around to the back of the Gym and sure enough found Mary and Marta sitting on the ground, within the shadow of the building. Green approached carefully, especially when she noticed that Mary was wiping her eyes, but Marta looked up and smiled. "Green! Come on over and join us!"

Both girls were leaning against the building, so Green sat herself on the grass in front of them. Mary spoke first, making eye contact with Green. "I'm sorry I rushed out like that. I suppose I've been a bit... on your case since you showed up. I have a bit of a problem with losing. You're the first person I've lost against, Green. You're really good." Mary smiled as she finished, and Green could see that the girl was trying to make amends. That made Green squirm uncomfortably. She had merely challenged Mary to embarrass her for the whole cigarette experience. She hadn't meant to cause any sort of reaction like this.

"It's fine Mary. You fought really well yourself. That Sunflora was MEAN! I thought Charizard was gone for a second there" Green said, grinning.

"Yeah, Sunflora's my best pokemon. You're one of the first people I haven't one-shotted with her solarbeam" Mary gushed, and Green could practically feel the girl relax as she began talking about her own pokemon and asking Green and Marta about theirs.

Over the next hour the three girls simply talked, mostly about pokemon. Green got the distinct impression that Mary didn't often speak to others very much. She was the one who ended up talking least, mostly content to smile faintly and listen as Green and Marta spoke of their adventures thus far. Tamia came in near the middle of the story, but simply sat down and listened as the two of them told the end. As the two finished, the sun was noticeably lower, filling the sky with a dark orange and pink glow.

"Quite a story." Tamia commented, standing up and cracking her back with a groan. "If we stay out here much longer we're going to miss dinner though. Green, do you know where Lori and Janine are?"

"Said they'd be going to the department store. They left a few hours ago I guess." Green said dismissively, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it before she continued. "When does the place close?"

"Not for another hour I guess. Nine o'clock or so." Tamia seemed to relax a bit. "I'm just wondering how we managed to miss them, that's all. They're probably getting food somewhere else I imagine. Now, let's go. A couple of the other girls are making a whole bunch of food tonight. I think it's a bit of a thank you to you guys, so eat as much as you want. I imagine there's enough food for everyone to eat themselves sick anyhow."

Everyone got slowly to their feet, and began to chat idly as they wandered back towards the Gym. Green tagged a little behind the rest of the ground, and couldn't help but look out over the town with a worried expression. Janine had been gone for hours already, and Green couldn't see a reason she'd still be gone. Even as Green assured herself that nothing was going wrong, she thought that something felt wrong about the whole situation.

Dinner was pleasant, which meant that for Green things were incredibly boring. There was a kitchen area in one of the Gym's back rooms, right next to a dining room with one large rectangular table. Most of the food served here was vegetarian, the only thing with meat was a soup with green onions and what tasted like chicken to Green. A few of the other girls around the table congratulated Green on her victory today, and ended up retelling portions of her story to the table at large, assisted by Marta when appropriate. The meal was very informal, with people showing up or leaving seemingly whenever they felt like it. Green didn't even see Erika, and when asked about the Gym Leader Mary shrugged and said that Erika was probably busy tonight. It sounded like she was often busy.

It was near the end of the meal that Green finally spared a thought for Tamia, who had been unusually silent during dinner and was now frowning over at the door. "You ok there Tamia? You look like you have a bad case of gas or something."

"Lori and Janine aren't back yet." Tamia said simply. Her mouth was set in a firm line, and Green could hear the tapping of her foot under the table. "It's well past nine now."

Marta nodded too, looking worried. "I don't have a very good feeling myself... maybe we should go out and look for them."

"I'll help! Maybe we should split up and search around for them" Chimed in Mary. Green guessed that Mary was simply glad to be included. She hadn't left their group since the meeting outside, and during dinner she didn't say hello or wave to anyone else. It was hard to hate someone like Mary when she was trying hard to help and be likable.

"Sounds like a plan. I'm ready to go whenever you guys are." Green said happily, mentally reminding herself that half of her team was down for the count and that she would have to stop by the Pokemon Center.

"No, you're staying here." Tamia responded, turning to Green and folding her arms across her chest. "It's past dark, and Marta tells me that you're ten years old. As long as you're staying here I don't want you going out this late, especially when other girls older than you have possibly been kidnapped. I'm going to take Marta, Mary and some of the other girls to come looking with us."

Green, whose mouth had dropped open, closed it back up and glared at Tamia as she rose to her feet. "What? I saved your asses the other day! This is bullshit!"

"Nevertheless, I'm not gonna bring someone your age with us and I'm not going to argue. I'm sorry, but that's final. Julia?" Tamia called over Green's shoulder. "Could you watch Green here for me when I leave?"

Green felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to see the woman who had refereed the match earlier smiling down at her. "Sorry kid, but I've gotta agree that it's a bad idea to let you out at this time of night. You wanna go watch a movie with us or something?" asked Julia, giving her a smile that Green found very patronizing.

"Just take me to my room" Green demanded, crossing her arms across her chest. "This is complete bullshit." Tamia didn't respond, but instead turned and walked out of the room with Mary close behind her. Marta stayed behind a moment, and looked to Green with a torn expression on her face. Green took a bit of pity on Marta. "It's ok, just go! Find Janine!"

"I'll make sure we come and get you the second we come back!" Marta promised before rushing out after the others.

Waving after Marta halfheartedly, Green looked up at Julia with a scowl. "Well? I guess I gotta go to my room now, right?"

Julia frowned back, and led Green out of the room without taking her hand off her shoulder. "You don't need to have a bad attitude about it. Like I said, we're gonna watch a movie downstairs in the lobby. You're welcome to come join us. The lobby's also next to the exit, so please don't try to be clever and sneak out, ok?" Green didn't respond as they neared her room, and Julia eventually looked for something else to say. "Look, I'm sorry about all this, alright? I know you want to be out there and helping to find your friend. But you have to understand that even though you're a good trainer you're still eleven. You're a liability for the older girls. They just worry about you. From the looks of it you've already been in a few fights, and some of those Team Rocket members are really terrible criminals."

"Lady, I've fought Giovanni and he tried to kill me. Please don't lecture me on this." Green replied, feeling exasperated.

The woman frowned back as they reached Green's door. "Look, I don't think lying is going to help your case right now, alright? Now, if you want to join us downstairs you're welcome to. I'll make sure we get you as soon as we hear about the others." Julia waited until Green opened the door and stepped inside her room before turning about and walking off back down the hallway.

When Julia was out of sight, Green closed the door and sighed in relief as she removed a pokeball from her belt. "I never thought she'd leave." Tossing the pokeball out, it released Kirlia, who nearly fell over. The pokemon looked real hurt, but managed to stay upright as she looked up at Green. "Ok, I need you to teleport us back to the pokemon center. Can you do that, Kirlia?" Green asked gently, putting a hand on the pokemon's head. Kirlia leaned into Green, nodding weakly against her waist. The pokemon glowed briefly with a white light, and then the two of them vanished from the room.


	9. Interlude 02

Interlude 02: Black Omen

Giovanni stared blankly out of the window, stroking his Persian's head idly as his eyes followed the waves of rain outside, illuminated by the moon. The window took up the entirety of two walls in this room, giving an impressive view of Saffron City below. The black shapes of the buildings were spotted with white and yellow squares all over, and even as Giovanni watched more dimmed. It was getting late, but he didn't feel tired at all. He sighed and sat back in his seat, dropping his hands to the armrests of the chair.

"Something wrong, boss?" Jules asked, stepping forward from his position to the left of the door. He kept his hands behind his back, and an extremely serious look on his face. "You seem perturbed."

"Vexed even" Vincent supplied, smirking as he took out a knife and began slowly cleaning his fingernails. "You hardly even touched your steak."

Looking around with that same bored expression, Giovanni's eye alighted on his plate of food. The personal chef for the president of the Silph Company was a fantastic cook, yet Giovanni had hardly touched the cut of meat or the vegetables on the plate. He glanced down at Persian, who was now looking at the steak hungrily, before taking the whole plate and placing it on the ground. While Persian ate Giovanni got up slowly, and faced the two men for the first time in hours. "Gentlemen, I do not become angry. I just become annoyed. I must admit that I didn't think that... girl would become so much of a bother. It's truly beginning to prey on mind... is there word on the location of Registeel? Has there been luck with the power plant operation?" Giovanni asked, changing the topic abruptly.

"None yet. They say they found some shards of pottery, which they say's a good sign" Jules replied with a bit of a sneer. It was obvious that he didn't consider it as such. "Boss, if you need us to go find that girl, just say so. We'll get right on it."

Holding Jules' gaze for a moment before glancing over at Vincent, who was still cleaning his fingernails, Giovanni considered it for a long moment. "No. I'd like the two of you to go to Cinnabar Island first thing tomorrow. If the Power Plant ends up being a waste of time then we should get moving on the next goal. I will not lose another one of these keys."

Vincent and Jules exchanged a brief glance. Vincent shook his head no, and after a moment Jules nodded reluctantly. "Alright, boss. But I think that girl's gonna become a problem real soon unless we conta-" Jules began to say, until he was stopped mid-sentence as the world around the three of them turned a monochrome grey. The three men acted almost instantly, pulling out pokeballs and glancing around the room frantically.

"What's going on?" Giovanni asked, looking over at Persian. The cat was still as a statue, halfway through the remains of the steak from earlier. A look at the clock confirmed that it too was frozen in time, leaving the three Rockets as the only things left with color or motion to them. "Is it a pokemon that's doing this?"

"I... don't think so. I've never heard of a pokemon being able to do crazy shit like this, boss!" Vincent said excitedly, his eyes not slowing down as they flicked around the room. "I wouldn't be surprised though. You know they say there' tons of pokemon we probably don't even know about."

"little people... little tiny people. tell me, little people. do you think? do thoughts enter and leave your minds, or do you just go through life on complete autopilot? i'm genuinely interested in how much time and effort they put into your creation" called a voice from the shadows. As the three men spun around, glancing wildly about, tiny wisps of darkness began to coalesce in the middle of the floor. As it began to grow taller and taller, three red glowing eyes appeared slowly in the center of what could be called its face.

Giovanni's eyes crawled across the room slowly. He could tell the others were waiting for him to speak, and he wanted a clear head for this moment. "Yes. I think quite a lot actually. May I ask who you are? I like to know names, as a rule."

The thing made a noise that sounded to Giovanni like a scoff. "names. i had forgotten you were all for that sort of thing. i suppose it comes with the body. call me..." it leaned in very close. "red."

Giovanni didn't flinch. "There's already a Red. He's a 11-year-old kid."

"is there? damn i thought that was going to sound so neat. i suppose i should have checked up on everything before coming here." the thing said, backing up and sitting down in the chair behind the desk. The form of the creature spilled over the sides of the chair, washing out over the floor in a spreading pool. "whatever. i hate names. call me the shadow man. listen, i've got quite a deal for you. i know about your little plan, and let me tell you it's just plain stupid." The thing leaned back. "i have some ideas as to how you could alter it."

"You think I'm gonna just let some pokemon talk like this to the boss?" Jules bellowed. The Shadow Man turned to look at him, its' expression unreadable as he drew a pokeball out from his jacket pocket and threw it at the ground. "Aggron! Head Smash!"

The huge pokemon burst forth and immediately began to charge at the Shadow Man. Giovanni noticed that the floor didn't shake at all as Aggron's head began to glow a dull brown. Jules' Aggron was well over eight feet tall and well over a thousand pounds. At the very least something would be happening to the building they were in, or some windows would be shattering. It was beginning to dawn on Giovanni that he might be in a lot of trouble as Aggron leapt through the air, soared over the desk and flew right at the shadowy figure horns first. Instead of panicking or anything, the thing simply reached out and grabbed the central horn before Aggron struck, its form hardly shifting from the blow. Aggron halted, the huge amount of momentum it had built up all gone at once. There was a long moment of silence, and then the Shadow Man lifted the thing off the ground bodily and whacked it against the ground with a dull crack that made the three Rockets jump.

"return your creature." the Shadow Man demanded to Jules. The voice hadn't been exactly friendly before, but now there was not a trace of good feeling in the voice. It watched as Jules returned his pokemon, while also sharing a serious look with Vincent. "you seem to be under the misguided idea that i'm one of these stupid creatures you keep in your world. i cannot impress how wrong that idea is."

Giovanni's hand, grasped tightly around a masterball in his pocket, looked over his shoulder to his two henchmen. "Please, do not try to interfere further. I have this under control." He looked back up into the trio of red eyes. "I apologize. Many of my followers are quite loyal. You know how that can be, I assume?"

"in fact i cannot. we treat each others as equals. well, in a sense of the word. others of our faction. nevertheless i am not familiar with the concept of hired help among those i perceive as evolutionarily equal to myself. i shall get right to the point. what do you hope to achieve with these three golems you are seeking? to unlock that creature that grants wishes, am i correct?" the Shadow Man asked in a mocking tone, the tendrils of shadow coiling gently around Giovanni's feet. "and then what?"

For the first time in a long while, Giovanni was lost for words. In truth, his plan was indeed to capture the wish-granting pokemon Jirachi, but he hadn't actually thought of something to do at that juncture. Sure, vague ideas like immortality or owning all the pokemon in the world floated through his head, but Giovanni wasn't even sure if this wish had any sort of limitations or conditions. If nothing came to mind, then having a legendary wish-granting pokemon in your pocket was good for threats at least. "I've had some ideas."

"i'm sure they're fantastic." responded the Shadow Man dryly. He obviously hadn't believed it for a moment. "trust me, it's not your fault that you weren't programmed with an idea. i suspect they think you won't win. well forgive me for presenting an idea, but instead of this little wish thing being your stopping point, why not go one step further?"

There was a long silence in the room while Giovanni waited for the thing to continue. Eventually he spoke up when it was obvious it was waiting for Giovanni to say something. "What exactly are you getting at?"

"i mean, this little wish granting creature isn't exactly the most powerful of the 'pocket monsters' that exist in your world" replied the creature smoothly. "i could point you in the direction of the most powerful one, if you so desired. i regret that you'd have to use your wish however. you were probably going to be using it for something very important. after all, you had such ideas."

"Hmm. What's in this for you?" Giovanni asked, deciding for now not to bite the bait. This whole deal was a little too good to be true.

"well for one thing, i might just win a little bet i've made with some friends. they seem quite convinced that my team won't win, so i'm hedging my bets as it were."

Giovanni's face didn't budge from the slight scowl that was across his face. "Why did you decide to hedge them with me? I know for a fact there's stronger pokemon trainers in this world than me."

The shadow, to Giovanni's shock, dropped through the seat it was sitting in and disappeared from sight for a moment. Then it fountained up in front of the Rocket boss, looming over him as it leaned down and grabbed Giovanni's head in its' hands. It maintained an iron grip as Giovanni tried desperately to free himself. His hands passed right through the smokey fingers holding him, like they weren't' even there. "human, i like the way your mind smells. you have a ruthlessness and cunning i have not seen in many. i believe you would do well to further my goals even if you do not know them. i can also smell your hate for the girl." The shadow man pulled Giovanni up closer to its' face, lifting his feet off the ground as the trio of red eyes blazed. "that hate does not further my goals per se. i do enjoy a spirited race for the prize however."

Two pokeballs opened, and Vincent's voice sounded out, the mirth from earlier completely gone from his voice. "Let the boss go, or we'll end you." His Skuntank stood at the ready, hissing madly at the shadow man next to Jules' Pinsir.

The shadow looked over to Jules and Vincent, dropping Giovanni to the floor. It seemed amused at their threat, and moved closer to them as a low thrumming chuckle echoed through the room. "oh my. did you really learn nothing from the display a moment ago? do i really have to beat some sense into both of you personally? i have no qualms with that, you know."

Both men smiled as Jules pushed his sunglasses higher on his face. "You know, you really are full of yourself. Got your head shoved up your own ass, you know that?" he asked, a grin spreading across his face. "Look, personally I don't give two shits what you have to say. We don't negotiate with fucking pokemon. You're getting my nerves."

The shadow man hissed, and his already large form began to swell and spread along the ground like mist. "i will not tolerate this. perhaps i can spare breaking the rules this once. i am going to snap you in two..." it began to say as it advanced on the duo, but slowed as it noticed the expressions on their faces. Both men were grinning widely, and Vincent was even going so far as to light a cigarette as he smirked. The shadow man spun around quickly, just in time to see Giovanni throw the Master Ball.

There was a quiet moment in the room where nothing happened. The Rockets all watched the ball flying through the air with self-satisfied smiles, their eyes not leaving the ball as it came closer to the shadowy figure. The figure also watched the ball approach, the eyes the only thing moving as they followed the trajectory of the incoming object. It made no attempt at all to dodge left or right, but stood still as the ball hit it in the chest. The ball opened up, and after a breathless fraction of a second, dropped to the ground. The figure's shadowy tendrils began to quiver, and one lazily looped around the open ball and lifted it closer for inspection.

"this is one of the creature capturing devices" the figure said in a deadpan voice.

"Son of a bitch! What's it gonna take to shut you up, you fu-" Jules began to cry, signaling to his Skuntank and reaching into his belt for another pokeball. As Giovanni watched, that hand started to move slower and slower as it closed in on his belt and the gray coloring that permeated the rest of the office began to creep over Jules' skin like a spreading flood. He seemed to notice only at the very last second, and his eyes widened as he froze in place. Vincent turned to Giovanni and tried to speak, but the same grey tide washed over his skin even as his lips began to part.

"let me reiterate this again. i am not one of these creatures you can capture. this little farce will have consequences my friend" the shadowy figure chided, turning his attention to the masterball. The thing snapped shut and then began to buckle and implode, becoming smaller and smaller until it looked no bigger than a marble. The thing clattered to the ground, instantly turning the same dull gray as everything else in the room as soon as it stopped. "are you willing to be reasonable about this now?"

"I only have two more of those now you know" Giovanni noted as he crossed his hands across his chest. The display with the masterball had done more than shaken him, it genuinely frightened him. Stopping time was impressive, but it was something that could at least theoretically be done by a pokemon. Being unaffected by the ball and then destroying it was supposed to be impossible. What the hell was this thing supposed to be if it wasn't a pokemon? Giovanni kept a cold and calculating face on as his inner dialogue played out. No need to let this thing know how much this situation bothered him. "Listen, I want some questions answered. You said I wasn't programmed with an idea of what to do with the wish. What are you talking about? Why do you keep talking about faction and winning some game? What the hell are you?"

"hmmmmm... you are so interesting! you waited to bring this up, didn't you? because of your two associates, am i correct?" the Shadow Man asked, his voice becoming gleeful as he looked back at the frozen Jules and Vincent. Giovanni narrowed his eyes as the Shadow Man continued in a slow and amused voice, "i can understand the sentiment. they are ambitious. i will answer your questions in the order you asked them. first, about your programming. this world is a sort of rat maze that our kind have created. while you are an intelligent being, you are also an intended obstacle in said maze. you are not supposed to win the race to the prize, in short. thus, you were not given specific aspirations. no doubt if you did reach the goal first you would have hesitated, allowing the girl to come and take it. as for the game, the specifics need not concern you. this world is and always has been for the game. as for the factions..." The Shadow Man paused, and turned back to Giovanni slowly. The trio of red eyes were slowly drifting all around the body of the thing, seemingly independent of one another. Giovanni got the impression that only one was looking his direction, and the feeling disoriented him a little. "there are three involved in the game. my brethren comprise two. they are basically the same, except in how they regard lower life. they often make games that they observe and bet upon, based on the cultures of worlds they find." Seeming satisfied, the Shadow Man straightened up and his red pinpoint eyes zoomed back into place. His voice took on a brief anger as he added, "foolish games. my faction do not play games. our faction believes that there are greater things to be experienced. gain to be had for oneself. there are things beyond even our comprehension, after all."

Giovanni took a moment to take in the info. As he took a few deep breaths he managed to add, "You didn't say what you are."

"i will not tell you that, that's why. we are a tier of existence above your sort of life form. really that's all you need to know. now, i need to know if you're going to let me discuss this wish business with you. my time is valuable."

"How are we wasting your time? Everything's goddamn frozen!" Giovanni shouted, his frustration at the whole situation barely kept in check.

"time only flows for your kind. i tire of this palaver. if you do not consent to this agreement right now, i will find a better monster trainer who will." The Shadow Man turned his attention away and began moving towards the windows.

There was a split second where Giovanni was glad to see the creature leaving. It was an unsettling being, and However the term "best pokemon" that the Shadow Man had used earlier drifted into his head, and he found himself calling "Wait! I'll do it, but tell me one last thing. What is it you want in return, anyhow? For the info. This can't be free, can it?"

The thing turned around quickly. It sounded immensely pleased with itself as it commented, "of course it's free. there would be no payment you could give me that i could benefit from anyhow. it is your actions i am concerned with. now, onto important matters. heave you heard stories of the progenitor creature here in this world? the first creature that created all things?"

Giovanni's fists clenched. Of course he had heard something about that. Practically everyone heard something about the first pokemon, if only in stories from their grandmothers. They were silly stories though, about the pokemon making the earth out of mud or something. His own nanny had told him a story about how the first pokemon had made humans by breathing life into stars and having them fall to earth. Of course he didn't believe such nonsense. Best not to get into that right now though. "I've heard of it, yes. What, all I have to do is wish for it and it'll appear? Seems kind of easy."

"did i say that was what you had to do? no, nothing like that. i am afraid it will be a tad more complex. hmm... i do believe it will take more time than i'd like giving you this information. let's speed this meeting, shall we?" the Shadow Man said, his eyes slowly rotating clockwise in his face as his form began to writhe. Lifting a hand from the shadowy mass, the creature held aloft what looked like a long ropey worm made of pale gray smoke. The worm was moving gently, like seaweed in the ocean's tide. Without warning, the Shadow Man threw the worm at Giovanni with a flick.

The worm landed right on Giovanni's forehead, above his eyes. Giovanni reached up for it in a panic, but was too late as the thing began burrowing its' way into his head. Though the thing left no hole or wound as it entered Giovanni's head, the man shrieked and dropped to his knees. There was no pain, but he could FEEL the thing moving about inside of his head. "What are you doing to me?" He screamed, one hand falling to the floor.

"calm down. it will be done in a moment. that is a set of memories i wish to give you reagarding your progenitor pokemon. it is merely settling into place, and rearranging memories i find undesirable." the Shadow Man said in a calming tone of voice. Seeing Giovanni's look of panic at his last statement, he elaborated, "i cannot very well leave you with memories of myself or my race. knowing a man of your cunning you'd no doubt use that knowledge to your advantage. you have already been given one large advantage here. you need not worry about your toadies, i will see to them as well. now, i must be off. do make me proud, puppet."

Giovanni opened his mouth to speak some sort of retort, but a twinge of pain in the back of his skull made him wince and shut his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, he was confused as to why he was on the ground.

"Boss? You ok?" Vincent asked as he hurried over, offering Giovanni a hand which he graciously accepted.

"Maybe you should get some sleep, sir. You've been up for quite a while." Jules added, standing up straight and locking his hands behind his back. "Vincent and I will leave for Cinnabar Island first thing in the morning."

Nodding, Giovanni sat down in his chair and waved the two of them away. "Yes, I think that sleep sounds an excellent idea. Send periodic reports." He reached down and began to stroke Persian, who began to purr deeply and nuzzle his legs.

"Of course sir. Should we call in Mia to come with us?" Jules inquired. He glanced down, puzzled as he noticed his Skuntank eating the remains of the steak Persian had been eating earlier. He returned his pokemon just as it finished the cut of meat, and decided to just keep quiet about it.

"No. When she's finished in Celadon I'll send her your way however. Goodnight, gentlemen." Giovanni turned to look out the window as the footsteps of the two men slowly died away. "I have much to consider." He sat there for nearly three hours, watching the moon go lower and lower before he slowly stood up and began walking for the door himself.

A glint caught Giovanni's eye. Curiously, he bent down and picked up a small metal orb. It was the size of a large marble, and he could clearly see swirls of purple and white along the surface, with a hint of pink. After a moment, Giovanni pulled a master ball out of his pocket and compared the two side by side with a frown on his face.

"Hey base! Is this the home base or whatever?" Came a voice from the long range radio in Giovanni's pocket. "Answer me, dammit!"

Reaching down into his pocket, Giovanni could feel his annoyance growing as he pulled the radio out and held down the send button. That wasn't Mia, and nobody else was supposed to have access to this channel. "Who is this? Why are you calling this channel so late?" Giovanni demanded in a calm but severe tone of voice.

"Is this you Giovanni? Well good! This is Green you piece of shit! I'm coming to get you, you arrogant motherfucker! You think you can just pull these fucking games? I'm gonna fucking kill you! When-" The voice bellowed back, snapping off mid sentence.

Though his anger had blazed for a moment when he heard the voice of the girl, it subsided quickly this time. Giovanni decided not to respond as he turned the radio off and slipped it calmly into his pocket. No matter. Before now, there had always been a sort of uncertainty about the end of the plan. That had only exacerbated the annoyance he felt over this whole setback. Now, a sort of calm settled over him. Now that the end was in sight, not even this current annoyance bothered him much. In fact, he even saw what the best course of action was now.

Giovanni sat back down at his desk as he pulled out his radio and turned it on. He changed the settings for a moment before pressing the send button. "Are you awake Silver? I have a mission for you."

There was a brief moment of silence before the radio clicked on. "I'm listening."


	10. Chapter 17

Chapter 17-Night on the Town

The streets of Celadon were surprisingly populated for being so late at night. Green supposed she wasn't surprised; there were the lights of a casino not far off, and there was the occasional bar in one form or the other scattered around this part of the city. People hardly gave her a second glance as she covered as much ground as possible, looking from face to face for any sign of Janine or Lori. Looking up, Green glumly noticed how much the moon had risen. It had been over an hour since she had healed up her pokemon at the center, and now that she had a chance to run around the city her enthusiasm had died a bit. Deciding it would be prudent to take a quick break, Green noticed a pokemart open and sauntered inside.

After gathering a handful of snacks and a bottle of water, Green began to walk towards the counter when she started to get the feeling someone was watching her. Looking around, she was a little unnerved that the whole store seemed to be deserted save her. On second glance, she could see that the clerk was sitting behind the counter with a book in her lap. The clerk barely noticed as Green came up to the counter, and didn't even say a word until he was done scanning her items. "So, what are you doing out this late?" he asked as he held out his hand for her pokedex.

"Heading home" Green replied as she looked around the store one more time. "You see anyone else here?"

"Not a lot of people come in around this time. Obviously." The clerk handed over Green's pokedex and a plastic bag, then plopped back down and picked up his book. "Have a pleasant evening." Green was halfway to the door when he called, "You should get home, by the way. It's late."

Green scowled at the clerk for a moment before turning around and leaving. She didn't stop walking until she had reached a bench and sat down. As Green started into the food, she took some time to think. What did she think was going to happen with this search? This was a city, after all. It wasn't like a video game, where there was 9 or 10 doors to enter. Plus, she was eleven. That was turning out to be a real problem as of late. For one, it would be pretty difficult to get into any of the bars, clubs or casinos around here without making a scene. Also, while young pokemon trainers did seem to enjoy a fair amount of freedoms, Green was willing to bet that sooner or later someone was going to try to question why an eleven-year-old was roaming the streets in this part of town at night.

As if on cue, a pair of policemen rounded the corner, one obviously in the midst of a story while the other grinned and listened. The second one noticed Green, and the two policemen lifted their hands in a casual salutation. Green motioned back, and relaxed visibly as the two men continued along without stopping to speak with her. Deciding it would be best to resume the search she got up and wandered off, unaware of the figure that followed slowly after her.

A further hour later, Green only achieved the goal of making herself miserable. It was humid, and the sweat was making her shirt and pants stick to her skin as she walked along a deserted alleyway behind a series of bars. With a exasperated sigh, Green summoned Regirock and motioned for him to lift her up. The pokemon happily obliged, lifting her up and onto its' shoulders.

There was a sudden noise from behind Green, and she turned around to see the alleyway still devoid of anyone else. Her eyes narrowed. "Alright, who's there? I know I heard something. You've been following me, haven't you?" Green continued to scowl at the alleyway for a few minutes, waiting for an answer. None seemed coming, so she reached down to her belt and grabbed two more pokeballs. "I'll roast this whole alleyway. Don't think I won't. I don't like being fucked with! If you-"

"Green? Is that you?" Called a faint voice that seemed to be coming from around the corner, the opposite way that the initial noise had come from. "Stay right there!"

For a moment Green was about to bolt, and she could feel the command for Regirock to flee in her throat. However she decided at the last moment to just wait for the inevitable. It was probably Lori coming to bitch at her for acting stupidly. Green was surprised therefore when Marta came around the corner, leaning against a wall and taking a few deep breaths.

"Marta! What are you doing here? Did you guys find Janine yet?" Green asked, hope rising in her quickly.

Marta shook her head, letting her breath come back fully before responding. "No, not yet. We were looking all around where they were last seen, and then Julia came to find us. She said you had ran away, so I came to find you."

"How the hell did you know where to find me?" Green asked, genuinely impressed.

"Well, we were looking at the department store mainly. At the stores around it too. I figured that you'd be here. Around the..." Marta cut off, and her mouth closed after a moment of hesitation as a blush spread across her face.

Smiling, Green decided to move on to save Marta any further embarrassment. She was pretty sure Marta was going to say something about being near places with alcohol. "Well now that you're here, I guess we should both go and look for Janine together, huh?"

Looking relieved, Marta nodded. "Oh, yes. Let's hurry. It's going to be midnight soon."

"Alright, let's go then! I guess we can check out some of the bars now that you're here. We can..." Green started to say, turning to give Regirock an order. The noise of footsteps from down the alleyway quieted her, and Green looked questioningly down at Marta. "Did you bring people with you?"

"No, I don't even think they knew I ran off right away." Marta was fumbling in her purse, and took out a pokeball. "What should we do?"

"Don't freak out, for one. Hey! Who's there?" Green called out, looking annoyed.

"Return your pokemon, Green. I'm here to talk!" Called back a voice that Green recognized at once. Gutman. He stepped out into view, hands held over his head and smiling.

"Fuck you! I'm not returning SHIT! How the hell did you get out of fucking prison? I handed you right to the goddamn police!" Green yelled, fury creeping into her voice. "Regirock, get this motherfucker!"

Gutman took a large step back, grinning widely. "I don't think you should do that. I do have something you want" he said easily, motioning with his hand. From a shadow in the alleyway, Janine stepped out into the open. "Now, can we talk?"

"Stop" Green commanded Regirock, putting a hand on top of its head as it jerked to a halt. Green did not respond at once, taking a minute to consider the situation. Janine was dressed as she was earlier, and even had her pokeballs on her belt. However she had a black mask over the lower half of her face, and Green couldn't help noticing that while she looked in their direction, her vision didn't meet anyone else's or waver. Her eyes just sort of stared forward, while her arms lay limply at her sides.

"Janine! Quick, come over here!" Marta called, who had noticed that she was out of reach of Gutman. Marta began making frantic hand motions for Janine to come over, but Janine didn't even look like she had noticed anything.

Though she was pretty sure what he was going to ask for, Green thought it would be prudent to drag this on longer for now. "I don't think she can hear us, Marta. Ok, Gutman. What's this about?"

Gutman took a step forward, and Green saw for the first time that he stepped very gingerly with one of his legs, and a noticeable flicker of pain came across his features. "It's simple. I want Regirock. Give me that pokemon, and I'll give you your girlfriend back.

"Why isn't Janine saying anything?" Green asked, making no move to do anything yet.

"We've made her easier to deal with. For God sakes. Janine, say something." Gutman commanded, looking a bit annoyed.

"Hello Green. I'm fine. I haven't been mistreated." Janine replied at once, her voice muffled a bit by the mask across her face. She didn't move from her position.

Biting her bottom lip, Green took a moment to decide what to do. Though she was loathe to give up Regirock, she was also unwilling to let Janine get kidnapped again. "Tell me, why don't we just kick your ass and take her?" Green asked Gutman.

"Well, if you think I'm here by myself you're sorely mistaken. Look I'm not going to argue with you all night. Give me Regirock or we are leaving. You won't see Janine again, I promise. I'll make sure of that."

Green felt a tap on her shoulder and followed Marta's finger as she pointed silently to the rooftop next to them. Green could feel her heart sink as she saw two other figures staring down from above. She couldn't make out their faces, but she was willing to bet that they were Cairo and Cook. Green looked at the ground and clenched her fists. They had enough people here that she couldn't just knock this guy out and take Janine. Regirock was slow, and the other two undoubtedly had pokemon out already. Nevertheless, she had to try. "I won't give Regirock up, and I'm going to take Janine back from you. There's two of us and four of you. We'll see how this goes. Marta! Cover our backs!

There was a long pause, where nothing happened at all.

Green took a deep breath and started to rub her temples, eyes shut tight. "You didn't bring your pokemon, did you." It wasn't a question.

"I... I'm so, so sorry Green. I just brought Jeffy... I was with all of the others, I didn't think I'd need all of my pokemon..." Marta began, her voice wavering as tears began to well in her eyes. "I'm so, so sorry."

Feeling completely defeated now, Green reached down and took Marta's unresisting hand. "Marta. It's alright. Really. Please stop crying, alright?" She asked gently, giving it a squeeze. Green ignored the mocking laughter from the roof as Marta calmed down, nodding and wiping her eyes as she squeezed Green's hand back. Green dropped Marta's hand, and sighed deeply. "Fine. Regirock's yours."

Gutman broke out into a huge grin as Green hopped down from Regirock' shoulder and returned it to the ball. "I'm very glad we could work this out. Here, hand it to Janine. I don't exactly trust you."

Scowling, Green stepped forward. Janine mirrored the movement and held her left hand out, palm up. Green dropped the ball into into her waiting hand, and Janine casually tossed the ball over her shoulder to Gutman. Before Green could go about demanding anything, she was startled as Janine reached up and snagged her wrist in an iron grip. "Hey, what the fuck?" Green exclaimed, trying to pull her arm from Janine frantically.

Gutman was grinning, his eyes never leaving Green's. "I forgot to mention that we'll need you as well. Don't worry though, I'm sure Mia will release your ninja friend once we're done this mission."

"Marta! Run!" Green cried as loud as she could, thrashing violently against Janine's grip, which didn't even falter for a second.

Marta looked frozen by fear, but didn't budge as she noticably summoned the courage to speak. "I don't want to leave you, Green. You're just a kid!"

"Listen to me, what good would you be right now? RUN! Run and tell the others you stupid girl!" Green screamed back, turning red in the face. "I'll kick the SHIT out of you if you don't!"

Marta hesitated for another moment, breathing slowly before she turned and ran. She glanced over her shoulder once, then ran off around the corner. Green could hear her footsteps running off for a few seconds after she was out of sight, then nothing. The faint noises of the city was all Green could hear.

"Should we follow her?" asked a voice, and Cairo landed on the ground. Her Seviper followed behind, curling around the drainpipe as it spiraled slowly towards the ground. "I think we owe her a bit of a beating."

Cook, who was sitting on the edge of the roof, laughed. "Nah, don't even bother. We got what we need. It's not like we're gonna be here much longer, is it?"

Cairo didn't look convinced, but she was cut off by Gutman. "Fine, let's roll." Gutman commanded, motioning towards the other exit to the alleyway. Cairo looked like she was going to complain for a moment, but seemed to decide against it. Gutman looked serious, and not in the mood for games.

"Just a second, let Janine go! You promised me, you son of a bitch! Let her go, you have me already!" Green raged, renewing her thrashing against Janine's grip with renewed vigor. Janine seemed to be having a bit of a problem keeping Green's wrist firmly in her hand.

"Oh, just knock her out! Let's get back to the fucking base already!" Gutman called, annoyed.

Before Green could say another word, Janine's other fist came around in a wide arc, and the last thing she saw for a while were the knuckles heading for her face.

Green's eyes slowly opened as consciousness flowed back into her brain. She could tell two things right away; she was alone, and this room was very sparsely lit. As Green sat up she was aware of a third thing, namely the throbbing pain in her skull. Green sucked in air as she grit her teeth and grasped her head for a few minutes. Eventually the throbbing went down a bit, enough for Green to feel comfortable opening her eyes and trying to stand up. The fourth thing Green noticed was the handcuffs around her wrists, which clinked as she stood up. They were linked around a leg of a metal table which was bolted securely to the floor, but thankfully a chair was within reach of her foot. Green pulled the thing up and sat down, letting her hands dangle as her head rested face down on the surface of the table. Right now Green just wanted a few minutes of silence to collect her thoughts, and this seemed a good a time as any.

It was ten minutes before Green lifted her head up and began to search her pockets. Not surprisingly, there was a lack of anything useful there. There was some change and other small things that had accumulated in her pockets, but no pokeballs or pokedex. Sighing, Green looked around the room for anything else that could possibly help her.

This room, now that Green got a good look at the place, was surprisingly huge. Only one fluorescent light glowed in the ceiling, yellow with age. The other tube next to it barely let off a faint yellow glow, and even while Green watched it the thing went dark for a few seconds before buzzing back to life. This place looked to be some kind of a storeroom, with machines and cleaning implements sitting quietly in dark corners. The whole place smelled like dust and furniture polish, the sharp and musty scent so powerful Green couldn't stop thinking about it. There was a bit of excitement when Green saw a toolbox sitting on a shelf, but her hopes fell nearly as soon as they rose. The shelf was over 6 feet away against the wall, and high enough off the ground that it would have been annoying to retrieve even if Green hadn't been handcuffed. Another search of the room turned up no additional means of escape. It seemed as if Team Rocket didn't detain people in rooms they could conveniently escape from. Green decided to simply sit still, and wait for someone to come.

A noise in the dark made Green jerk upright, mid snore. Realizing she must have fallen asleep, Green stared around, trying to see what was going on. There was a figure making its way through the gloom, a female if Green was any judge. Janine stepped into view a moment later, her expression still blank as she balanced a tray of sandwiches in front of her. Janine placed it gently on the table before sitting down in the chair opposite from Green.

There was a moment where Green was going to refuse the food, but her stomach audibly groaned in protest to that plan. With a frown, Green reached out with difficulty and grabbed one of the sandwiches.

There was a clinking noise from Janine, and Green looked up to see Janine calmly removing another pair of handcuffs from her pocket. Janine linked one around her left wrist, making sure it was tight enough, and then looped it around a table leg and secured it to her other wrist, albeit with a bit more difficulty. Almost as soon as the second cuff was secured, Janine's eyes seemed to come back to life. "Wha? Wha... what happened?" Janine's eyes focused on Green, and she seemed supremely confused. "Green, why are you here? Where are we? Why am I handcuffed?" Janine asked, each question becoming more and more frantic.

The smile on Green's face eventually calmed Janine, who took a few deep breaths to slow her heart rate. "You're okay, Janine. Thank god. Right now we've both been kidnapped by Team Rocket. I assume we're in one of their bases in Celadon City. You're handcuffed because you did it to yourself. I think you were mind controlled. Janine, you have to remember. What happened when you and Lori went shopping? You never came back." Green wished she could have given Janine a few minutes to gather her wits, but this could be a very small window of opportunity to find out what happened.

"I... the last thing I remember is the two of us leaving the restaurant. We got a quick bite to eat, and Lori just sort of walked off down an alleyway. I know that sounds weird, but she just turned and jogged right off. I chased her..." Janine trailed off, and shrugged. "That's it. I think I remember seeing something red shining in the dark. I remember that Lori was just staring at it."

Green considered the words carefully. "This is serious. I think one of the members of Team Rocket has some level of mind control, and they exerted it over you."

"Yeah, you just said that a minute ago. I don't know, I find that hard to believe. Are you sure you saw me handcuff myself?"

"Janine, you're the one who knocked me out earlier when that guy Gutman told you to, and I can only assume you gave him all of my pokemon as well. I am extremely sure."

Janine opened her mouth in surprise, then shut it and stared down at the table. "Oh."

"We can't go and feel sorry for ourselves now. Look, we have to try and get out. If it hasn't been too long then our pokemon are probably still gonna be here. We need to think. Please, are you with me Janine?"

Nodding, Janine still did not look up. "Green, I told you I wasn't going to hurt you. I promised you. I'm starting to remember it all now. It's all like some sort of half-dream."

Green took a deep breath. Though she wasn't going to say it out loud, she was kind of annoyed. This was not the time to be pulling this shit. "Janine, look. That wasn't you. That was a puppet they were using to do what they wanted. I never even considered blaming you, but we really cannot worry about this right now, ok?"

Janine nodded again and finally looked up. Her eyes were dry, though a little red. "Thank you, Green. You're right, this isn't the time, I can't act like this. Alright, let's think. Handcuffs. Green, do you have a hairpin or anything?" she asked, using her limited reach to explore around to the best of her abilities.

While Green was glad to have Janine back, that joy quickly dwindled over the course of the next half hour. Whoever had put them here had been very thorough, and had been very sure not to leave any convenient pieces of metal for them to bend and use. Green growled in frustration as she tried desperately to think of a way out, sitting back with a huff in her seat. "If only we could reach that damn toolbox."

"I swear, if we get out of here I am really going to kill Gutman. I don't care, that guy is dead." Janine fumed as she glared down at her handcuffs.

"No complaints from me." Green sighed and stared up at the ceiling. "Fuck. I think we're screwed."

"Well, it looks like we're being ignored for the time being. I don't know what else to do." Janine thought for a long moment before sighing and saying, "Maybe it's just better to wait for them to come back."

Nodding glumly, Green settled back against the seat and tried to think of something to talk with Janine about. There was a brief pause, and then Green heard a feminine voice in her head. "Check the inside rim of the table. This is disappointing." Green jerked her head up and looked around wildly, but all she could see was Janine looking at her strangely.

"Did... you just hear a voice?" Green asked cautiously.

Janine slowly shook her head. "Green, are you feeling ok? You've taken some nasty blows to the head the last few days."

Reaching down, Green felt around the inside rim of the table, at least as much as she could reach. For a moment she thought nothing was there, but then her fingers brushed a groove. Reaching in and pulling with her finger, she could feel what was certainly a key fall into the palm of her hand. There was a moment where Green fumbled with the lock, and then her right handcuff came free.

As Green stood up and took the other one off, Janine just stared back with her mouth open for a moment before responding. "How did you even DO that? Where did you find a key?"

"I heard a voice in my head tell me there was a key under the table" Green explained as she went to Janine and felt around under her portion of the table. It didn't surprise her that there was just smooth metal all the rest of the way around the table. "Damn, just this key. Try it on your cuffs, I'll get the toolbox." Janine's frustrated growl told Green her answer before she even reached the toolbox. Janine placed the key on the table and accepted the toolbox from Green, placing it on her lap and opening it with a snap. Green grabbed the handcuff key, deciding to pocket the cuffs in case they came in handy. "Is there everything you need in there?"

Janine nodded as she took out some thin nails and pieces of wire. "It'll take a bit, but yes."

"Good. I'm heading off then."

There was a moment where Janine looked like she was going to drop her implements. "What? That's suicide! At least wait for me to get out!"

"Every moment we're here, we have a chance of losing our pokemon. I made a promise, and I'm going to keep it. I'm sorry, I can't wait." Green gave Janine a quick kiss, and started for the door.

"Green, it's a trap!" Janine yelled in response, yet it didn't slow down Green as she headed out the door.

Outside of the door there were no guards posted. The hallway Green was in now had poor lighting, and the air smelled moist and unused. There were a couple of loose crates sitting about, and Green was glad to see a crowbar lying against the wall near one. She hefted it, and swung the thing experimentally a few times. Seeming satisfied, she pried the lid of a crate off and stared inside.

The thing was packed with supplies. Strange medical instruments lay quiet in the box, most of which she couldn't begin to guess what they were. Gently, she lifted out what she could only guess was a blood centrifuge. She frowned as a vague memory from Rudolph flooded into her mind. Giving blood at the hospital, and getting to watch as they separated the blood cells from the plasma. The memory felt painful to recollect. It was inaccurate, and without context. Every time she tried to think of something like why she was giving blood, or what happened afterwords, there would just be that horrible headache. Nevertheless she clung onto the memory desperately, and made a mental note to write it down in her journal later. Every memory of Rudolph was precious.

Before she closed the crate, another instrument caught her eye. A simple stethoscope stared up from atop a scale, and for some reason Green couldn't explain she couldn't take her eyes away from it. As she picked it up, a whole new series of memories came to mind.

Rudolph was... 8? Around there at least. His father had just come home, and he was so excited to see the old man. The door opened, and there was his father, smiling as he placed a couple of large suitcases at his feet. A shiny silver stethoscope, just like this one, dangled from his neck. It was silly for him to wear it, but he knew how much Rudolph liked it. He spread his arms wide and caught Rudolph as he closed in. They were both laughing. "How's my favorite young lady doing, Green?" He asked as he smiled down warmly.

Green screamed out loud and threw the stethoscope back into the box, slamming it shut as she fell onto her bottom. She didn't even have a thought for the noise as she scrambled away from the crate on all fours, terrified. She just sat there, shaking her head while she stared unblinkingly at the suddenly immensely ominous crate. It took a minute before Green's breathing and heart rate returned to normal, and another minute until she could stand up again. She still trembled a bit as she walked away from the crate, grabbing the crowbar and not looking back at it. "My memories are my own. My memories are my own. My memories are my own."

The corridor was oddly silent as Green walked down, trying out doors. The rooms were practically all empty and dark, some with crates that looked ready for transport. The only door of interest seemed to be one with a tarnished bronze plaque that read 'manager.' A quick look around the place revealed a room with at least ten or so pokeballs strewn across an empty desktop, its chair turned towards the far wall. A bag also lay open on the desk, and Green could see her and Janine's pokedexes sitting inside. This room looked largely unpacked, and Green could see a sofa laden with cushions along one wall and a coat rack full of floor-length garments. Sidling inside, Green shut the door behind her softly and let the handle go slowly. She made her way to the desk in three strides and began to hurriedly shove the pokeballs into the bag as fast as possible.

The chair spun around slowly, revealing Mia. She was smiling serenely in a cross-legged pose. "Thank god. I was wondering how long it would take you to get here." She picked up a shining silver case from the desk, and clicked it open to reveal a number of long cigarettes. "Would you fancy one? I could also get you a drink if you'd like."

Green was frozen in place, one hand on a pokeball. It took her a moment to realize that Mia wasn't making any move at all, besides taking out a cigarette and lighting it with a match, which created an unusual smell. Green could clearly see Mia's six pokeballs dangling from her belt, untouched, and she had to admit that the Rocket didn't seem like she was going to fight. After a long hesitant moment Green sat down. "Sure, I'll have one of each."

Mia smiled, and passed Green her cigarette as she withdrew another from her case. "Of course. I roll my own. Please tell me if it's too strong. What would you like to drink?"

"Rum" Green replied instantly as she took a long pull of her cigarette. There was a strange taste, and Green stared at the thing for a moment, trying to remember. "There's something weird about this. Did you drug it?"

"In a matter of speaking. There's a bit of cannabis inside" Mia responded casually as she prepared Green a glass with ice and rum. Green noticed that she didn't even reach for a mixer. "Is that a problem?"

"Canna... no, no that's cool" Green said honestly, once she realized what she was talking about, and took another long drag of the spliff. "Look, it's not that I don't appreciate-oh thank you" Green paused as she accepted her drink and took a sip, "all of this hospitality, but what gives? Aren't I a prisoner? I kind of broke out and... and stuff after all" Green ended lamely.

"Yes, that took you almost too long back there. I had to help you out in the end. One of the others should be showing up at the room in about ten minutes to bring you food. We'll have time until then to speak freely, I imagine."

"Helped... you were the voice in my head?" Green exclaimed, anger and surprise evident in her face. "I thought that was me! I thought I was going crazy!"

"Not quite. I wanted to talk to you alone, preferably when the other Rockets did not know of our meeting. I wish to extend to you an offer. I don't need your decision today, but I do want you to seriously consider it." Mia leaned back and gave Green an enigmatic smile as she brushed back her jet black hair from her eyes. "Please."

Green couldn't help but notice that Mia had a low-cut top, and at the angle Mia was sitting at Green had a fantastic view of her breasts. Green cursed Rudolph for making this that much more difficult as she tried to keep her gaze on Mia's face, which was delightfully entertained. "Um, sure. I'll listen. I mean it can't hurt right? Tell me, how did you talk to me earlier when I was locked up?"

Mia's smile was a bit predatory as she leaned slowly forward. "I am telepathic. Somewhat."

Green's face went white. "Oh. So you can read minds" she stated in a flat voice.

"With most people it's no problem, so long as they don't know I'm not trying to do anything. I must admit, you're somehow much harder to read. Nevertheless, I can feel how much you appreciate my features." Mia smiled over at Green's suddenly blank face. "Please, don't be upset. I find it very flattering. Also I am serious when I tell you that you are harder to read. That was one of the few things I've heard from you. I was unsure if I could even send you a message . Your mind is a very hard one to crack. It's almost as if you have more thoughts then you should be having. Very unusual."

Thanking the fact that two minds seemed to have come in handy finally, Green settled back and finished her drink in one gulp, making a face and shuddering. "Look, can we get down to business? I want to find out what the catch is. If you're gonna offer me something stupid like a position in Team Rocket of course I'm going to turn it down, you know that right?" Green asked she she set the glass down firmly on the table. She was starting to get annoyed at Mia's constant smug smile.

"Nothing like that. Believe you me, this organization won't be around in a year. I've come to discuss a separate opportunity. You find this whole Pokemon League thing very childish, don't you?"

The question came so suddenly that Green didn't have time to think up a lie. "Yeah. Yeah, a little I guess. What's your point?"

"I thought you would. Green, I sense a real talent from you. Your attitude in combat is so relaxed and sure for one your age, and you command your pokemon extremely well. Don't you think it's a shame that all you have to work for is being the Pokemon Champion?" Mia finally leaned back and steepled her fingers as she waited patiently for a response.

"I'm not sure I get you. Isn't being the Pokemon Champion like, the best there is? What else is there?"

Mia only responded with, "What if you could be one of the Lords of Creation?"

Green worked her mouth for a minute. "Wha... huh? What does that even fucking mean?"

With a small and quiet laugh Mia got up and took her time before answering, pouring them each another drink. This time she noticed that Mia added a mixer without comment. When Green had a new drink and Mia was settled down, she continue. "I represent a group that hopes to achieve more than this world wishes to give us. Pokemon are the ultimate source of energy and power for this world, and we intend to harness that power for the greater good of all mankind. We would literally be rebuilding this world as it should be, and you could be there with us, shaping the future."

Green took a long sip of her drink before responding. "Look, this just sounds like a lot of bullshit. This is just another gang, right? I have to admit, that bit about a Lord of Creation..."

"This is NOT a fairy tale. Hmm. I don't know exactly how to reassure you. No... wait." Mia opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out a shard of stone, which Green could see was covered in writing. "Now, if anyone asks you stole this. I was supposed to give it to Giovanni tomorrow. Please, at least think my words over. I don't want a decision on your part today. After all, this group is still very much in the preliminary stages. But, I would like to know one thing. Will you at least consider it?"

Slowly, Green reached out and took the stone shard, looking it over. One side was marred with deep, precise cuts that looked very much like hieroglyphics. In one corner, along the cracked edge, there was the corner of a picture that Green couldn't decipher. The thing seemed oddly heavy. "I just don't know if I can believe you. This is all kinda bizarre" was all she could say.

Mia's eyes were unwaveringly set on Green's. "But will you consider it?"

Green sighed. This was confusing, and she didn't exactly trust this crazy woman as far as she could throw her. Still, agreeing for the time being seemed to be a good idea. At least she considered Green a friend, and apparently disliked Team Rocket. Plus, apart from anything else, she didn't completely dislike the idea. "Alright. I'll consider it. Can you answer me some questions too, as long as I've agreed to this?" Green slipped the shard into a pocket, trying not to think about it. When Mia only nodded, Green went straight into the questioning. "First of all, where's Regirock? He's not in the pokeballs I gathered earlier, and I've been more than patient. Second, what did you do to Janine earlier? I want you to take it off her, whatever you did."

"Those are sort of half question, half demand, but I shall acquiesce. Espeon?" Mia turned to the corner of the room where a purplish lump stretched, yawned, and walked calmly to her side. A red gem glittered on Espeon's forehead as it sat down next to Mia. It watched Green evenly as Mia began to stroke its' head. "My Espeon can control most human minds, it's true. And it IS still maintaining a psychic link. I will release your friend Janine when we finish here, you have my word. As to Regirock, I regret to tell you that Gutman has already made sure it got sent off. It should be in Giovanni's hands very soon."

Feeling her anger rise, Green got to her feet and glared at Mia. "You did this to keep me busy, didn't you? This whole this was just a fucking ruse!"

Mia shrugged. "Believe what you want. Personally I'd think it a stupid ruse if we gave you back your pokemon just to buy time until we actually steal one of them. If I was really on their side, wouldn't have I insisted that we sent all of the pokemon to Giovanni?" As Green began to consider her words and lose that anger, Mia continued in a slightly consoling voice. "I'm sorry. I tried to get him to wait until tomorrow so we could deliver them all in person, along with you. He was quite insistent to send it tonight however, as were those two hoodlums he cavorts with. All isn't lost though. They sent it to Saffron City, Silph Corporation headquarters. Giovanni is going to be moving out soon, maybe this evening. I'm sorry, I can't help you more than that. It will be hard enough explaining away you receiving your other pokemon back, and I need to maintain my cover in this organization a while longer."

"Wow. That's a lot to take in. Thank you, Mia. I think this is the luckiest break I've gotten in a while. Can I please ask you one more question?" Green asked, casually. He'd had time to think over the proposal some more, and wanted to know something.

Mia's smile was possibly just a tad bit forced. "Please do."

"Your two friends, Jules and Vincent. They're in on this with you too?"

By the expression on Mia's face, she had not expected that question at all. She took a long moment to answer. "Almost certainly."

Cocking her head to the right, Green gave a questioning look.

"They are men of opportunity. We have always thought generally along the same lines. I have no doubt they will join us in our plans once they see how the future will pan out." Mia's voice was clipped and sure again, but Green could see she wasn't smiling nearly as much. "Now, I believe your friend Janine has broken out of her handcuffs. I imagine she will be here in less than a..."

The door opened up, and Gutman stepped into the room. He looked like he was about to give Mia a piece of paperwork, but stopped with his hand outstretched and his mouth open at the scene in front of him. "Wha..."

"Ah, Gutman. Good. I was going to call you to come and... take..." Mia started, then faltered. There was an awkward moment where Mia sought for words, before waving at Gutman in an annoyed fashion. "Hypno, just kill him please. It'll be so much easier."

"What? You fucking traitorous cunt! I'll bash your face in!" Gutman roared, and charged Mia across the room while completely ignoring Green. He didn't get more than five steps before something stirred between the two, and Hypno came out of the coat rack with its pendulum swinging. Once Gutman saw the thing moving, he stopped dead in his tracks. Green could see Hypno's eyes glowing a deep orange as it forced Gutman onto his knees.

For a moment Green thought Hypno wasn't even doing anything to Gutman. His expression didn't even change from the anger he had felt. However, Green noticed the first drop of blood as it dripped out of his nostril. Gutman's expression turned very slowly to that of surprise, then horror as the drip became steady, and then became a small stream. He didn't make another noise as he slumped over sideways, his blood soaking his clothes from the neck all the way down his front.

Green finally closed her mouth as Mia walked up and stripped Gutman's belt off his waist, checking a leather pouch that was hanging off. Seeming satisfied, she looked to Green. "Here, take his Hariyama. It's not much, but now you at least have six pokemon again. Now, it'd be best if you'd leave. There will be others here soon. If you take the elevator to the second floor, you can leave out of the fire exit. I've disabled the alarms." Green caught the pokeball that Mia threw her way. Hypno waited patiently "And please do keep out of any overt trouble. Good luck with the rescue of your pokemon."

Thinking that it was probably better to run now, Green merely left the room, closing the door behind her. She entered again, grabbed the rest of the bottle of rum without speaking, and left.

She was outside of the room for no more than a few seconds when Janine rounded a corner, looking frantic. When she saw Green her face broke out into a huge smile and she closed the distance in a few strides, grabbing Green up in a hug that lifted her off her feet. "Oh, thank god you're ok. I was so worried."

Green smiled back as she patted Janine on the back. "Yes, I am. You don't have to worry anymore. You can let me down now." Once Janine had put her down, Green hefted the bag from the office. "I got all of the pokemon back, except Regirock. I think Giovanni already has it. That doesn't matter right now though, let's get out of here." Green reached out and took Janine's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Janine looked so relieved that she just nodded, and followed Green as she led her to the elevator, not letting go of Green's hand. The elevator opened right up when Green pushed the button, and the two of them just enjoyed the ride after Green pressed the button to their destination.

The elevator jerked to a stop at the first floor, and Green let go of Janine's hand. "We're probably going to have to fight our way out." They both reached for pokeballs, and waited for the doors to open.

The doors slid open to reveal the casino lobby, and people were moving around everywhere. A dark haired woman stood in front of the elevator, hands on her hips as she glared inside at them. She was wearing black jeans, a purple tank top and had startling red eyes. Next to her was an Alakazam, both spoons pointing their direction. "Alright, get out of that elevator. I'm Sabrina, Gym Leader of Saffron City. I'm here with the authorities, and you are under arrest."

At the mention of Sabrina, Green gave a little start of surprise that Sabrina seemed to notice. Trying to play it off for now, Green growled in anger and took a step forward. "You idiot. I'm eleven and I've obviously been beaten. Do you really think I'm the most likely suspect?"

Sabrina frowned, but looked towards Janine, who shrugged. "Sorry. I'm not going to give you any help."

Not wanting to cause a fuss, Green sighed and explained, "There's a dead Team Rocket member named Gutman down below. A chick named Mia too. If you hurry, you might catch her." She stepped out of the elevator and motioned her in.

Sabrina looked surprised. "What? Her name was what?"

Green gave her a curious look. "Mia."

Abruptly turning away from the two of them, Sabrina barked orders to four men standing nearby with police vests over casual attire. "Get down there and hurry!" As they rushed past, Sabrina gave both Green and Janine a long look. "I think you had better come with me. I'm not going to let you off the hook that easily. Please, don't reach for your pokeballs."

The two followed Sabrina silently as she left them to the front of the casino where the lobby was crawling with law enforcement, mostly carting people away or questioning others. It only took a moment before someone cried out in relief, and Marta came barreling through the crowd with tears in her eyes. She grabbed both Janine and Green with an arm each, and held them tightly as she sobbed gratefully. Janine patted Marta's arm consolingly, looking grateful, if a little embarrassed. Green just held Marta back, and let the older girl just cry it out.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," said a soothing voice that sounded like it actually was, "but are you Green? I'm Erika, Gym Leader of Celadon City. I really am sorry, but if you are Green we need to ask you some questions. It could be very important."

Green pulled away from Marta and looked up at Erika. She was wearing a light yet elegant kimono embroidered with a floral pattern, and Green could see she even had fucking geta on. "Yes, I'm Green. My pokemon Regirock's been taken to Saffron City, Silph Company. I have to get him back before Giovanni leaves that place. Can we please hold the questioning off until later?"

"Yes, I think that would be appropriate given the circumstances." Sabrina said, her gaze wandering from Erika to Marta. "There might not be much time."

Erika smiled and nodded. "Quite alright. You answered most of my questions anyhow. May I just say Green that I am in your debt for the assistance you rendered to Tamia and Lori. I am in your debt for their safety." She gave a low, formal bow to Green, who blushed as the attention of the room slowly drifted their way.

"It's fine. Really. Thank you." Green looked around and saw Tami standing with a weary looking Lori. She waved awkwardly at them both, noticing that Lori openly smiled at her this time. Green felt bad. She had completely forgotten about saving Lori too. She turned to Marta as Erika stood back up and the room went back to normal, as it were. "Look, how did you get here so fast with all these people? Did you run to Saffron or something?"

Marta shook her head. "Blue brought Sabrina here. They were at Erika's Gym when I showed up."

"Blue?" Green asked, looking annoyed. "C'mon, really?"

Sabrina crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "He came to the city for the badge, and was concerned about the state of things there as I and others around were. We had a little more trouble leaving the city than we thought we were going to have, but not much. He's extremely annoying. You're going to insist on coming with us to Silph headquarters, right?" When Green nodded, Sabrina tooka radio off her belt and pressed a button. "Nurse Joy, please send a Chansey over here to the front lobby please."

Green was wondering what was going on as a Chansey waddled up into view, happily adjusting its' apron as it came up to Sabrina, who just pointed over at Green. She backed up a step, unsure as Chansey walked right up to her as its egg began to glow gold. Chansey reached down and grabbed the egg, or at least the golden glow around the egg, because Green could see the white thing still in her pouch. Chansey gently placed the energy egg against Green's chest and pushed, surprising Green immensely when it slid right through her skin like it was nothing. One of Green's eyes that had been a bit swollen was suddenly easier to open, and Green gingerly touched her face. Probing the formerly bruised spots brought no pain. "How?" Green asked, truly amazed.

"Softboiled" Sabrina retorted, sounding a bit bored. "We will leave within the hour. Erika, could I please speak with you."

Before Erika could talk, Green shook her head. "No way! Sabrina, I need to speak to you real quick. Please. I've been waiting for this."

Scowling, Sabrina turned on Green. "What is so important that it can't wait?"

Green glared right back, scowling up into the taller girl's eyes. Green beckoned Sabrina down, and she took a knee as Green leaned in to whisper. "I'm losing my mind. I'm getting confused which memories are mine. I think that I'm two people. Please, if you can help me then it is important, and it can't wait."

Sabrina stared directly into Green's eyes without blinking while Green stared right back, hands balled into fists. Then Sabrina stood up, and nodded. "Yes. Come with me." She raised a hand at Janine, who had taken a step forward. "Alone."

"What? Don't tell me what to do!" Janine snapped.

"This is an immensely personal journey into one's psyche. I would no rather bring you into her mind than I would discuss your deepest secrets with the world at large. It it nothing I revel in."

Janine looked at Sabrina's extremely serious expression and averted her gaze, nodding. "Sorry. I didn't know."

Sabrina patted her shoulder. "There's no reason you could have. I'll keep her safe." She took her hand away and put it on Green's shoulder, leading her silently away.

"There's... no danger or anything, is there?" Green asked once they were out of earshot.

"Immense" was Sabrina's only response.

Back in the lowest basement, Mia calmly packed her things up, taking care to step around Gutman's body as she did so. She occasionally had a sip of her martini, and made sure to eat most of the few remaining olives in the jar. The door burst open, and two people nearly rushed into the room. Cairo and Cook stood just inside the doorway, holding back a few more Team Rocket members that were crowded outside. Mia popped the last olive into her mouth and washed it down with the rest of her martini, placing the glass onto the desk. "Hello there. What's the issue?" she asked casually.

"Gutman's dead! Um... we have police in the building! They're coming fast! We need to get the hell out of here!" Cook called urgently, obviously panicking a bit.

"Why is Gutman dead?" Cairo asked as well, not looking much better than her partner. "What the hell happened here?"

Mia gestured to the body as she passed Cook a packed bag. "Gutman was a traitor. I'm afraid he informed the authorities of our operations in exchage for leniency."

Both Cairo and Cook looked at each other, and Mia narrowed her eyes. This was an important moment. Casually, Mia motioned with her hand and saw Hypno move from behind the desk into view. This could possibly go wrong.

Cook looked up to Mia with a smirk. "We always knew he was up to something."

Nodding, Cairo was quick to agree. "Yeah, always actin' kinda suspicious, ya know? Like he had secrets to hide."

Seeing their expressions and getting what they were after with long glances to Gutman's body, Mia sighed and took out two pokeballs. "Fine, you may claim his remaining pokemon." Watching the two squabble for a moment before setting on which one they preferred, Mia released her Xatu and scratched the pokemon lovingly under its chin. An expression of bliss came over the face and it stretched out its neck happily.

One of the other Rockets shoved her way past Cairo and Cook, looking angry as she approached Mia and crossed her arms. Mia remembered her as Jesse, one of the lower ranking grunts she'd been given to command here. "Excuse me! I'm glad that you and your bird are enjoying yourselves, but we need to get out of here! They're coming down the elevator right now!" Jesse's anger wavered when she finally noticed Gutman's body on the ground, and she fidgeted nervously on the spot as she tried not to make eye contact.

Her partner, James, ran into the room after Jesse with a panicked look on his face. He laughed nervously. "Please forgive her, ma'am! She's... she's.. just a little excited!"

"What is WRONG with you two? Things like this are why you got stuck with that stupid ca-AHHHH!" Cook yelled, taking a swipe at Meowth and missing.

Their talking Meowth growled as it dodged. "Shut up, all of yas!"

Mia stopped scratching abruptly and returned her Hypno and Espeon and glared at all of the assembled Rockets. At the exact same time, Xatu followed her gaze and narrowed its eyes as it mimicked Mia's expression. The effect was disconcerting enough to command all of their attention. Everyone backed slowly away from Jesse, who inched away from Gutman's body and coughed awkwardly. "Everyone, gather around Xatu. I think we're ready to leave, right?" Mia asked pleasantly, gathering her bag. "Xatu, teleport."

Wordlessly, everyone scampered around Xatu as it spread its wings wide. It glowed a bright white, and then with a flash everyone disappeared.

With another flash the six of them appeared in Saffron City, in front of the Silph Co building. Mia returned Xatu and waved them all towards the building with an annoyed expression. "Go. Have the night off or whatever, I'm going to get a hotel room." Without checking what the others were doing, Mia wandered off, sighing with relief when she was finally alone.

Pulling her pokedex out of a pocket, Mia dialed a number as she sauntered lazily down the road. She held the thing to her ear and almost immediately someone answered. "Mia. What news do you have?"

Mia smiled up at the stars. "Good. The girl has the shard. Hopefully she'll get her pokemon back tonight."

"Excellent. You're positive that she has that level of potential?" the voice asked back.

"Quite so." Mia saw the hotel she was looking for, a huge one with one of those rotating glass doors out front. She loved those. She could already see the hot tub waiting for her upstairs. "Well, must dash Cyrus. Duty calls. Ta."

"Indeed. Until next time."

Mia put her pokedex away and took her time with the spinning glass door, smiling like a schoolgirl. The bellhop, who had noticed she had a Team Rocket uniform on, was looking straight ahead and sweating as he tried not to meet her gaze.


End file.
